David Simmonds MP: written questions 2025
375 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Community Development: English LanguageHome OfficeTabled 30 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86771More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 16 September 2025 to Question 75606 on Community Development: English Language, what estimate she has made of the cost to her Department for providing English language suppor
Answer: The Home Office has invested in programmes to facilitate refugees’ access to English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision.The ESOL Childcare Fund provided support for individuals resettled under the UK Resettlement Scheme, the Afghan Citizens ...
Answered 7 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HousingHome OfficeTabled 30 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86770More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has issued to its contractors on the methdology that should be used to determine the number of bedrooms that should be provided to asylum seekers with children.
Answer: The Home Office expects the highest standards from accommodation providers. A detailed breakdown of all of the services to be undertaken by accommodation providers and the standards we expect can be found in the Asylum Accommodation and Support Services C...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HotelsHome OfficeTabled 30 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86769More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish all the written evidence submitted by the Government to the court on the Epping Forest Bell Hotel hearings.
Answer: No, the Secretary of State will not publish written evidence submitted by the Government in the hearing relating to the Bell Inn Hotel, Epping. The Secretary of State’s evidence was presented to the court during the trial. After the trial, non-parties may...
Answered 6 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordRadicalism: ExpenditureHome OfficeTabled 30 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86768More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 1 September 2025to Question 69855 on Radicalism, how much was allocated from the Preventing Radicalisation Fund in 2024-25 (a) in total and (b) to each local authority which
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 14 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordCounter-terrorism: ExpenditureHome OfficeTabled 30 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86767More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 1 September 2025 to Question 69855 on Radicalism, if she will list the 28 highest threat areas in England and Wales; and how much Prevent funding was provided to each local a
Answer: In 2024/25, the Home Office allocated dedicated Prevent funds to the 30 highest threat local authorities. These are listed below, along with the amount of Prevent funding that was provided to each local authority during this time. The number of local auth...
Answered 14 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAdmiralty House: Council TaxCabinet OfficeTabled 30 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86766More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025, to Question 78294 on Admiralty House: Council Tax, what council tax (a) discounts, (b) premiums, (c) exemptions and (d) disregards, were claimed for and applied to each
Answer: Council tax discount, exemption, disregard and premiums billing for Admiralty House are determined by the Local Authority. In this instance, this would be Westminster City Council.
Answered 7 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HousingHome OfficeTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86342More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the letter from the Minister for Border Security & Asylum to the Home Affairs Select Committee, if she will publish a copy of the accommodation strategy that is now in the delivery p
Answer: This Government have committed to exit hotels as soon as possible and by the end of this Parliament. We are looking at a range of more appropriate sites including disused accommodation, industrial and ex-military sites so we can reduce the impact on commu...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: Multiple OccupationHome OfficeTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86341More
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, how many asylum seekers have been moved from hotels to houses of multiple occupation in the last year.
Answer: The Home Office does not publish data on moves within the asylum accommodation estate.Data, published quarterly, on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation, including accommodation type, can be found within the Asy_D11 tab of our most rece...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HousingHome OfficeTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86340More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2025 to Question 71464 on Asylum: Housing, if she will publish the amount allocated to each individual local authority from (a) Grant 7 and (b) Grant 6 programme
Answer: I refer the Honourable Member to the answer provided in PQ 71464.
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HousingHome OfficeTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85954More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2025, to Question 71461, on Asylum: Housing, what steps do (a) her Department and (b) its contractors follow if a local authority objects to specific asylum accom
Answer: Our contracted providers consult with local authorities on every Dispersal Accommodation bedspace before it is procured with the relevant local authority. If the local authority and provider do not agree, the Home Office reviews it and considers the evide...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordCounter-terrorism: FinanceHome OfficeTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85953More
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 allocated to each local authority in the (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26 financial years.
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: HousingHome OfficeTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85952More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the letter from the Minister for Border Security & Asylum to the Home Affairs Select Committee of 8 October 2025, if she will publish each Service User Demand Plan.
Answer: The Service User Demand Plans are not published. The Home Office publishes information about asylum seekers across the UK quarterly here Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: Dental ServicesHome OfficeTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85951More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department has spent on dental care for asylum seekers in hotels in the last year; and whether asylum seekers have access to free dental care.
Answer: Information on asylum expenditure is published in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts at Home Office annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK.
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HousingHome OfficeTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85950More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of local authorities provide (a) private and (b) social housing for asylum seekers.
Answer: The Home Office continues to work closely with local authorities to manage all the pressures arising from the provision of asylum accommodation including the impact on wider LA obligations and plans.Data, published quarterly, on the number of supported as...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HousingHome OfficeTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85949More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the letter from the Minister for Border Security & Asylum to the Home Affairs Select Committee of 8 October 2025, if she will publish the full specification and services offered unde
Answer: Simply Active Group CIC (formerly Changing Lives Limited) is contracted to deliver a structured programme of recreational activities for Service Users at Wethersfield. These activities include three days of on-site sports provision between the hours of 11...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordImmigration: 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 record
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