Damian Hinds MP: written questions
547 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Special Educational Needs: Secondary EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112584More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's announcement of 11 February 2026 entitled 10-year plan to revitalise schools and colleges for every child, how many and what proportion of secondary schools do not have an inc
Answer: The number of state-funded secondary schools with resourced provision or special educational needs units, as of January 2025, was 485. This represents 14% of all state-funded secondary schools.
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordPharmacy: Business RatesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112117More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies on community pharmacies of (a) business rates revaluation from April 2026 and (b) their exclusion from RHL reliefs.
Answer: The Government recognises that pharmacies are an integral ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.In 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework has been increa...
Answered 18 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordApprentices: CostsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112116More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the average cost to a non-Levy-paying firm of employing an 18-year old apprentice in the first year of their apprenticeship, paid at the legal minimum hourly rate for a 37.5
Answer: Minimum wage rates are reviewed annually and the government considers the independent advice of the Low Pay Commission when setting minimum wage rates.Regarding wage costs, apprentices are entitled to the apprentice rate if they are either aged under 19 o...
Answered 2 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordApprentices: CostsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112115More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the average cost to a non-Levy-paying firm of employing an 19-year old apprentice in the second year of their apprenticeship, paid at the legal minimum hourly rate for a 37.
Answer: Minimum wage rates are reviewed annually and the government considers the independent advice of the Low Pay Commission when setting minimum wage rates.Regarding wage costs, apprentices are entitled to the apprentice rate if they are either aged under 19 o...
Answered 2 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordApprentices: CostsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112114More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the average cost to a non-Levy-paying firm of employing an 19-year old apprentice in the first year of their apprenticeship, paid at the legal minimum hourly rate for a 37.5
Answer: Minimum wage rates are reviewed annually and the government considers the independent advice of the Low Pay Commission when setting minimum wage rates.Regarding wage costs, apprentices are entitled to the apprentice rate if they are either aged under 19 o...
Answered 2 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordApprentices: CostsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112113More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of apprentices aged (a) 21 or under and (b) 24 or under were subject to a 100% reduction in apprenticeship training cost in (i) 2023-4 (ii) 2024-5 financial year.
Answer: The apprenticeship funding rules for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years, which include information on employer co-investment, are published here Apprenticeship funding rules - GOV.UK.Since April 2024, the government has fully funded apprenticeship tra...
Answered 25 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordApprentices: CostsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112112More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of apprentices employed by non-Levy-paying employers were subject to a (a) 100% (b) 95% (c) any other reduction in apprenticeship training costs.
Answer: The apprenticeship funding rules for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years, which include information on employer co-investment, are published here Apprenticeship funding rules - GOV.UK.Since April 2024, the government has fully funded apprenticeship tra...
Answered 25 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordApprenticeship LevyDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112111More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of apprentice-employing non-Levy-paying firms received an Apprenticeship Levy Transfer from a Levy-paying firm in 2023-4 financial year.
Answer: The total number of non-levy employers that received a transfer from a levy-paying employer in the 2023-24 financial year is 6,348. The proportion of non-levy employers that had an active apprenticeship service account that received a payment in the 2023-...
Answered 25 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordApprentices: CostsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112110More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the average cost to a non-Levy-paying firm of employing an 18-year old apprentice in the second year of their apprenticeship, paid at the legal minimum hourly rate for a 37.
Answer: Minimum wage rates are reviewed annually and the government considers the independent advice of the Low Pay Commission when setting minimum wage rates.Past, present and future minimum wage rates are published here, National Minimum Wage and National Livin...
Answered 25 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordApprentices: CostsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112109More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the average cost to a non-Levy-paying firm of employing an 18-year old apprentice in the first year of their apprenticeship, paid at the legal minimum hourly rate for a 37.5
Answer: Minimum wage rates are reviewed annually and the government considers the independent advice of the Low Pay Commission when setting minimum wage rates.Past, present and future minimum wage rates are published here, National Minimum Wage and National Livin...
Answered 25 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordSchools: Business RatesTreasuryTabled 5 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111101More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2026 to Question 102744 on Hospitality Industry and Retail Trade: Business Rates, what estimate she has made for the total business rates liability for the current set of propert
Answer: The Valuation Office Agency is responsible for assessing non-domestic properties and determining their rateable value (RV). Local authorities are responsible for calculating business rates bills using the RV, the multiplier set by parliament, and any appr...
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Media: ChildrenDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110747More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, further to her oral contribution during the statement on Mobile Phones and Social Media on 20th January 2026 whether "before the summer" indicates prior to the House rising for the summ
Answer: The government has announced a short, swift consultation, accompanied by a national conversation, on further measures to enhance children's wellbeing and ensuring they have positive, enriched digital lives.The government will act quickly on the findings a...
Answered 25 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordInternet: ChildrenDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110746More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, further to the three month consultation announced by the Government on further measures to keep children safe online, whether her Department plans to review submissions (a) as they come
Answer: The government will review submissions to the consultation once the consultation has closed and respond to the consultation in the summer. We will act quickly on the findings of the consultation.We want to be sure that everyone’s views are heard in the co...
Answered 17 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordInternet: ChildrenDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110745More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, further to the three month consultation announced by the government on further measures to keep children safe online, how many full-time equivalent officials she has assigned to this co
Answer: In order to ensure that the consultation considers all arguments and views, we are drawing on expertise from across the department and from a variety of different teams as necessary. This means that an accurate estimation in terms of FTE is not possible.
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordWork Capability AssessmentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110744More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what capacity his Department has made available for Work Capability Assessments in the next six months; and what the backlog of cases is.
Answer: During the second half of 2024, DWP experienced a much higher level of demand for new Work Capability Assessments (WCA) than envisaged. As a result, 34,000 reassessments built up from individuals reporting a change in their condition before May 2025. We h...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordMental Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 109988More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is planning to take to ensure the exchange of best practice among Healthcare Trusts from their deployment of Mental Health Support Teams.
Answer: The Department of Health and Social Care, along with NHS England and the Department for Education, jointly provide guidance and support to providers and commissioners of Mental Health Support Teams (MHST). This includes both the implementation of new team...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordMental Health Services: SchoolsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 109987More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to conduct a post-implementation review of the potential impact of the early waves of deployment of Mental Health Support Teams on schools.
Answer: The Department has no plans to conduct a post-implementation review of the potential impact of the early waves of deployment of Mental Health Support Teams on schools. In July 2025, the National Children’s Bureau published an independent Mental Health Sup...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordFurther Education: Business RatesTreasuryTabled 26 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108186More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies on Further Education Colleges of (a) business rates revaluation and (b) the new multiplier bands from April 2026.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given in UIN 104727.
Answered 3 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordFurther Education: Business RatesTreasuryTabled 12 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104727More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) business rates revaluation and (b) the new multiplier bands from April 2026 on Further Education colleges.
Answer: The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years...
Answered 20 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Education: Business RatesDepartment for EducationTabled 12 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104726More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the change to the level of (a) payment and (b) reimbursement of business rates in (i) her Department and the (ii) Education and Skills Funding Agency between financial years (A) 20
Answer: Since April 2022, most schools’ business rates are paid directly by the department to billing authorities. If all billing authorities in the local authority have not agreed to this system, academies make business rates payments and are reimbursed by the d...
Answered 27 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordNHS Trusts: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 12 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104722More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether funding for NHS hospital trusts will be adjusted as a result of business rates revaluation and the new multiplier bands from April 2026.
Answer: No additional funding has been made to National Health Service hospital trusts as a result of business rates revaluation and the new multiplier bands from April 2026. However, the Government uses the Market Forces Factor (MFF) within the NHS payment schem...
Answered 20 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordNHS: Business RatesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 12 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104721More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the potential of (a) business rates revaluation and (b) the new multiplier bands from April 2026 on (i) NHS hospitals (ii) other NHS facilities and (ii) facilities of o
Answer: No additional funding has been made to National Health Service hospital trusts as a result of business rates revaluation and the new multiplier bands from April 2026. However, the Government uses the Market Forces Factor (MFF) within the NHS payment schem...
Answered 20 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordBusiness Rates: ValuationTreasuryTabled 12 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104720More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential of business rates revaluation and the new multiplier bands from April 2026 on (a) hotels, (b) Sports & Leisure Centres, (c) theatres, (d) live music venues and (e) other
Answer: The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years...
Answered 19 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordWarehouses: Business RatesTreasuryTabled 12 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104719More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her reference to warehouses in the Budget statement, Hansard 26 November 2025, Col 395, in relation to Business Rates was referring to Valuation Office Agency Special Category Code 151.
Answer: The reference to warehouses in the Chancellor's Budget speech relates to all warehouses with rateable values of £500k and above, including those in the Valuation Office Agency Special Category Code 151.
Answered 20 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAssessments: SoftwareDepartment for EducationTabled 8 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104148More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the press release entitled Government modernises exam records with new app, published on 8 January 2026, how the £30m savings figure was estimated; and what the average saving for a state seco
Answer: The £30 million saving in the education sector is based on reducing administrative processes in further education and apprenticeships. Extensive user research with colleges identified activities that could be eliminated or streamlined, including photocopy...
Answered 16 Jan 2026
Original Parliament record
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