David Simmonds MP: written questions 2025
375 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Rights of WayMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65422More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has issued recent guidance to local authorities on public right of access to privately-owned public spaces that are owned by (a) private companies and (b)
Answer: My Department has not issued guidance in relation to this matter.
Answered 25 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordAllotments: Land UseMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65421More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether allotments are classified as (a) greenfield or (b) brownfield land for planning purposes.
Answer: The National Planning Policy Framework defines previously developed land (brownfield land) as land which is, or was, occupied by a permanent structure and any associated fixed surface infrastructure. However, the definition explicitly excludes land in bui...
Answered 14 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordCroydon Council: Cost EffectivenessMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65420More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Statement of 12 June 2025 on Local Government Best Value, HCWS697, what discussions her Department has had with (a) councillors and (b) political as
Answer: All details of ministerial meetings with external bodies are published on gov.uk.
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HousingHome OfficeTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65419More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding her Department plans to provide to local authorities to (a) house and (b) build housing for (i) asylum seekers and (ii) refugees in each financial year to 2029-30.
Answer: The Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts at Home Office annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK.
Answered 16 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HousingHome OfficeTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65281More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2025 to Question 59362 on Asylum: Housing, whether local authorities have a veto on the use of specific properties for asylum accommodation.
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 23 June to Question 59362.
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HousingHome OfficeTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65280More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2025 to Question 59362 on Asylum: Housing, if she will place a copy of the template Asylum Accommodation Service Contracts in the Library.
Answer: The Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts are already published and available on Contracts Finder as follows: Wales AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Wales - Contracts Finder South AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support S...
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HousingHome OfficeTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65279More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her plans to remove asylum seekers from hotel accommodation extends to (a) hostels and (b) other types of communal accommodation.
Answer: The Home Office continues to work with a range of stakeholders to fulfil its legal obligations, whilst delivering on this Government’s commitment to reduce the overall cost of asylum accommodation, including ending the use of hotels by the end of this Par...
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HousingHome OfficeTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65278More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2025 to Question 60081 on Asylum: Housing, what her policy for housing asylum seekers in hostels which have been converted from hotels via change of use is.
Answer: The Home Office continues to work with a range of stakeholders to fulfil its legal obligations, whilst delivering on this Government’s commitment to reduce the overall cost of asylum accommodation, including ending the use of hotels by the end of this Par...
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordCambridgeshire Constabulary: Domestic visitsHome OfficeTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65277More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answers of 30 May to Question 52709 on Police: Elections and of 2 May to Question 47267 on Cambridgeshire Constabulary: Domestic Visits, what assessment she has made of the compatibili
Answer: The National Police Chiefs’ Council is independent of government, and any assessment of compliance with its guidance on any subject would be for the NPCC to make.
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordTravellers: Caravan SitesHome OfficeTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65276More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 30 May to Question 52625 on Travellers: Caravan Sites, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of unauthorised traveller encampments on operational policing, in
Answer: The judgment is being reviewed in detail. Engagement has taken place with the National Police Chiefs’ Council.
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: Television LicencesHome OfficeTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65275More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has provided (a) funding and (b) guidance to (i) private contractors and (b) local authorities for the provision of free TV licences to people seeking asylum.
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave to Question 65010.
Answered 14 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordUndocumented MigrantsHome OfficeTabled 7 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 65274More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of small boat arrivals were (a) children, (b) babies and (c) women in the most recent period for which data is available.
Answer: The Home Office publishes statistics on detected irregular arrivals to the UK in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on small boat arrivals by age group and sex is published in table Irr_D01 of the ‘Irregular migration to the UK de...
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordMedical Research Council and National Institute for Health and Care Research: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64595More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of levels of funding for the (a) Medical Research Council and (b) National Institute for Health and Care Research.
Answer: Funding levels for health and care research have recently been set as part of the 2025 Spending Review. The Department will receive £9.8 billion for research and development over the period of 2025/26 to 2029/30. This funding will support research and dev...
Answered 10 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordBrain: TumoursDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64594More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with (a) the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and (b) the National institute for Health and Care Excellence on access to innovative treatment for pati
Answer: The Department is committed to ensuring that all patients, including those with brain tumours, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments. As such, officials meet regularly with the Medicines and Healthcare products ...
Answered 10 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordBrain: TumoursDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64593More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the national cancer plan will consider (a) astrocytoma and (b) other types of brain tumours.
Answer: The National Cancer Plan is to be published this year and will include further details on how outcomes will be improved for all cancer patients, including those with astrocytoma and other brain tumours.The plan will include further details on speeding up ...
Answered 10 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordBrain: TumoursDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64592More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the amount of funding available for research into (a) low grade glioma and (b) astrocytoma.
Answer: Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1.6 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR spent £133 million on cancer research in 2023/24, reflec...
Answered 10 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordBrain: TumoursDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64591More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help increase levels of life expectancy for people with (a) low grade glioma and (b) astrocytoma.
Answer: The National Cancer Plan is to be published this year and will include further details on how outcomes will be improved for all cancer patients, including those with astrocytoma and other brain tumours.The plan will include further details on speeding up ...
Answered 10 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordChinese Embassy: Planning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 30 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63655More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Letter to Chief Planning Officers of 24 May 2007, entitled Sensitive Information in applications for planning Permission and Listed Building Consent, whethe
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 58055 on 16 June 2025.
Answered 8 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordChinese Embassy: Planning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 30 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63654More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answers of 10 and 17 June 2025 to Questions 54888 and 57271 on Planning Permission, and Chinese Embassy: Planning Permission, if the designated Planning Minister
Answer: An independent Inspector held a public inquiry between 11 and 28 February which heard a range of evidence for and against the proposals in question. The Inspector’s Report is now before the Department for consideration. Ministers are able to issue a direc...
Answered 10 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordAffordable Housing: FinanceMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 18 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60935More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, CP 1336, whether the £39 billion for a new 10-year Affordable Homes Programme is (a) in cash terms and (b)
Answer: As under the existing Affordable Homes Programme, registered providers will need to bid for the grant funding announced at the Spending Review. The government will confirm further details, including the timing and process for bids to the new fund, in due ...
Answered 24 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordCouncil Tax: Tax YieldsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 18 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60934More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the core spending power budget line in table B.2 of HM Treasury's document entitled, Spending Review 2025, published on 12 June 2025, what is the estimated tota
Answer: Projected overall local government Core Spending Power within Resource Departmental Expenditure Limits is set out at table B.2 of the Spending Review document. This includes estimated funding from council tax. However, this remains subject to final decisi...
Answered 24 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government Finance: DisadvantagedMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 18 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60933More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 4.39 of HM Treasury's document entitled Spending Review 2025, published on 12 June 2025, if she will set out the methodology used to select the 350 de
Answer: The government has announced communities funding for up to 350 places, including the 75 places named in the Plan for Neighbourhoods in March 2025 and the 25 trailblazer neighbourhoods that will receive up to £20 million over the next decade. We will share...
Answered 26 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordRoad Traffic Control: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60138More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraph 4.15 of HM Treasury's document entitled Spending Review 2025, published on 12 June 2025, if she will list the congestion improvement measures her Department will fund; and whether th
Answer: Section 16 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 places a Network Management Duty on all traffic authorities in England to manage their road networks as efficiently as possible for the benefit of all traffic (including pedestrians), with a view to reducing c...
Answered 23 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordCouncil Tax and Police: FinanceTreasuryTabled 16 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60137More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to HM Treasury's document entitled Spending Review 2025, published on 12 June 2025, what is the estimated increase in (a) council tax revenue raised in cash terms for and (b) the increase in the avera
Answer: As set out in the Spending Review 2025 document, published 11 June 2025, police core spending power includes projected spending from additional income, including estimated funding from the police council tax precept. The final police precept level and cor...
Answered 23 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordAffordable Housing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60136More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to table B.3 of HM Treasury's document entitled Spending Review 2025, published on 12 June 2025, whether her Department's average annual real growth in capital exp
Answer: The calculations showing MHCLG’s average annual real growth in capital expenditure during 2025-26 to 2029-30 in table B.3 of the HM Treasury’s Spending Review 2025 publication includes the funding allocated to the Affordable Housing Programme.
Answered 24 Jun 2025
Original Parliament record
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