David Simmonds MP: written questions
1010 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Immigration: English LanguageHome OfficeTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85948More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78583, on Immigration: English Language, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of making it a requirement of anyone bein
Answer: Successfully integrating refugees is a Government priority. The ability to speak and understand English is a key factor in successful integration, allowing refugees to become active contributors to the communities in which they live.The Immigration White ...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordStay Belvedere Hotels: AsylumHome OfficeTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85947More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to the public purse was of payments to Stay Belvedere Hotels for asylum accommodation in the last 12 months.
Answer: Stay Belvedere Homes Limited (SBHL) was not contracted directly by the Home Office to provide asylum accommodation. They were a subcontractor to Clearsprings Ready Homes until the Home Office asked that SBHL be removed from the supply chain.
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum and Undocumented Migrants: MarriageHome OfficeTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85946More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department provides support to (a) illegal migrants and (b) asylum seekers to get married.
Answer: The Home Office does not provide support to illegal migrants or asylum seekers to get married. General guidance for all persons seeking to marry in the UK can be found at this link Marriages and civil partnerships in England and Wales: Check if you can ge...
Answered 17 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordCounter-terrorism: FinanceHome OfficeTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85945More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 71459 on Counter-terrorism: Finance, how much was given to each council in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26.
Answer: All Local Authorities in England, Scotland and Wales receive dedicated support from the Home Office to deliver the Prevent duty effectively and in proportion to the risk and threat.This support includes expertise from a network of region-based Home Office...
Answered 12 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: Multiple OccupationHome OfficeTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85944More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2025 to Question 77304 on Multiple Occupation: Migrants, whether her Department (a) collates data on which individual houses of multiple occupation are used to hou
Answer: I refer the Honourable Member to the answer provided in PQ 77304.
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordCounter-terrorism and Radicalism: FinanceHome OfficeTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85943More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding was allocated to Home Office units responsible for delivering (a) the Prevent strategy and (b) counter-extremism communications in the (i) (A) 2023-24 and (B) 2024-25 financial years
Answer: The total Prevent Budget in the 2025/26 financial year is £38,697,583.35 (of which £25,854,619.99 is allocated for Prevent Delivery Unit and £12,942,963.36 for Counter-Radicalisation and Enablers Unit).The total Prevent expenditure in the 2024/25 financia...
Answered 4 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordCounter-terrorism: Civil SocietyHome OfficeTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85942More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many civil society organisations received Prevent funding in the (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25 financial years; what the cost of that funding was; and what her Department's budget is for Prevent fun
Answer: It is vital that Prevent is well-equipped to counter the threats that we face and the ideologies that underpin them.Prevent provides funding for all local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland to address radicalisation risks through targeted projects...
Answered 2 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordCounter-terrorism: FinanceHome OfficeTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85941More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the total annual expenditure on Prevent was in the (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25 financial years; and what the budget is for the 2025-26 financial year.
Answer: The total Prevent Budget in the 2025/26 financial year is £38,697,583.35 (of which £25,854,619.99 is allocated for Prevent Delivery Unit and £12,942,963.36 for Counter-Radicalisation and Enablers Unit).The total Prevent expenditure in the 2024/25 financia...
Answered 4 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordBrain: TumoursDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 78825More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using brain tumour research funding announced in 2018 for supporting (a) new vaccines and (b) novel therapeutics.
Answer: In May 2018 the Government made a commitment to spend £40 million on brain cancer research. Between 2018/19 and 2023/24, the Department, via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), directly invested £11.8 million in research projects a...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordBrain Cancer: ResearchDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 78824More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking with Cancer Research UK to increase levels of future funding for brain tumour research.
Answer: The Department continues to engage with a broad range of stakeholders, including Cancer Research UK and other third sector organisations, to identify areas of investment in brain tumour research. The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) ...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordBrain: TumoursDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 78823More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has considered using brain tumour research funding announced in 2018 to fund an increase in the speed of research into new treatments.
Answer: In May 2018 the Government made a commitment to spend £40 million on brain cancer research. Between 2018/19 and 2023/24, the Department, via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), directly invested £11.8 million in research projects a...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordBrain: TumoursDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 78822More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding his Department has provided for brain tumour research in each year since 2018.
Answer: Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Cancer is one of NIHR’s largest areas of spe...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordBrain Cancer: ResearchDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 78821More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much and what percentage of total research expenditure has been spent on research into (a) Giloma, (b) Glioblastoma, (c) Astrocytoma, (d) DIPG and (e) DMG brain tumour types in the last decade.
Answer: Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Cancer is one of NIHR’s largest areas of spe...
Answered 10 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordBrain CancerDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 78820More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to include astrocytoma brain cancer in the (a) National Cancer Plan, (b) Rare Cancers Bill and (c) NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad.
Answer: The National Cancer Plan will take into account the needs of all patients with brain tumours. This means we will not be excluding any kinds of brain or spinal cord tumours and astrocytomas will be included as part of our work on brain tumours.The Rare Can...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCrime: Retail TradeHome OfficeTabled 5 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75355More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the level of criminal activity linked to candy retail stores.
Answer: The Government is committed to ensuring high street businesses such as candy retail stores are not exploited by criminals conducting illicit activity such as money laundering or tax evasion.The Government’s approach to tackling money laundering is set out...
Answered 22 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordAllotmentsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71491More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an estimate of the number of people on waiting lists for an allotment.
Answer: There are strict criteria in place to protect statutory allotments – these are sites covered by the Allotment Act 1925. A local authority cannot sell or dispose of statutory allotment land without the consent of the Secretary of State, who will only grant...
Answered 5 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordSecond Homes: Council TaxMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71490More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to commission research to assess the consequences of the second homes council tax premium on the housing market in England.
Answer: It is for individual councils to decide whether to apply a premium in their area, taking into account local circumstances. The government does not currently make housing market assessments based on the use of premiums.
Answered 5 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPolice: FinanceHome OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71489More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2025 to Question 65011 on Police: Finance, what estimate she has made of the total monetary value of council tax receipts from the police precept in England in (a) 20
Answer: The published total council tax receipts for policing 2024-25 and 2025-26 can be found below (£m): 2024-252025-26Total value5,650.06,057.6Year-on-year increases341.4407.7As set out in the Spending Review (SR) 2025 document, published 11 June 2025, the Pha...
Answered 11 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordIndependent Commission on Community & CohesionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71488More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress the Social Cohesion Taskforce has made on its objectives in the last 12 months.
Answer: The Social Cohesion Taskforce is a civil service team considering how to tackle divisions in our society and build common ground. Ministers will update on progress of the Taskforce in due course.
Answered 12 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordSites of Special Scientific Interest: EbbsfleetMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71487More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 40908 on New Towns: Planning Permission, whether she has received representations from Ebbsfleet Development Corporation on rem
Answer: The Secretary of State has received no representations from the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation to remove the Site of Special Scientific Interest designation at Ebbsfleet.
Answered 15 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordSecond Homes: Council TaxMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71486More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which local billing authorities have set a second homes premium on council tax in 2025-26.
Answer: The Department will publish data on the number of second homes liable for a council tax premium in November as part of the annual council taxbase statistics.
Answered 5 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: Employers' ContributionsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71485More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether councils will receive compensatory payments for increases in employer National Insurance contributions in (a) 2026-27 and (b) 2027-28.
Answer: The government provided an additional £515 million for local government in 2025-26 to manage the impact of changes to employer National Insurance Contributions. The recent Spending Review provides over £5 billion of new grant funding over the next three y...
Answered 5 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPlanning Authorities: RecruitmentMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71484More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to provide funding to local authorities for additional planning officers in (a) 2026-27 and (b) 2027-28.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the Question UIN 67508 on 21 July 2025.
Answered 15 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Government Art CollectionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71483More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what items from the Government Art Collection have been (a) installed and (b) deinstalled in (i) her office in Marsham Street, (ii) her office in Whitehall and (iii) Admiralty Ho
Answer: This information is not held by MHCLG. The Government Art Collection is administered by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Answered 19 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordGreen Belt: Planning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71482More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what planning appeal decisions the Planning Inspectorate has made in relation to Grey Belt land since December 2024 by (a) reference number and (b) local authority.
Answer: The Planning Inspectorate does not hold the requested information in a readily searchable way, and planning appeals do not have a marker for Grey Belt. As such, it is not possible to identify planning appeal decisions relating to grey belt land since Dece...
Answered 15 Sept 2025
Original Parliament record
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