Ellie Chowns MP: written questions 2025
289 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Secondary Education: Children in CareDepartment for EducationTabled 26 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63214More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the press release by Become entitled New research shows shockingly high numbers of children in care being moved during GCSEs and A-levels, published on 24 June 2025, what assessment her Depart
Answer: The department is committed to ensuring that looked-after children are supported to succeed in education and achieve positive outcomes. We recognise the critical importance of continuity and stability throughout a looked-after child’s life. Under the Care...
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordSecondary Education: Children in CareDepartment for EducationTabled 26 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63213More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the press notice by Become entitled New research shows shockingly high numbers of children in care being moved during GCSEs and A-levels, published on 24 June 2025, if she will make an assessm
Answer: The department is committed to ensuring that looked-after children are supported to succeed in education and achieve positive outcomes. We recognise the critical importance of continuity and stability throughout a looked-after child’s life. Under the Care...
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordSupply Chains: Environment Protection and Human RightsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 26 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63201More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure a joined-up approach to tackling harms to the (a) environment and (b) human rights in UK supply chains.
Answer: In the Trade Strategy, the Government committed to promoting a coordinated approach to responsible business conduct. The Government’s review into responsible business conduct, focused on tackling human rights and labour abuses, modern slavery, and environ...
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordSupply Chains: Environment Protection and Human RightsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 26 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63196More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of whether UK (a) company and (b) public sector supply chains are involved in (i) environmental harms and (ii) human rights abuses (A) in the UK and (B) overseas
Answer: In the Trade Strategy, the Government launched a review into the UK’s approach to responsible business conduct, focused on tackling human rights and labour abuses, modern slavery, and environmental harms in global supply chains.The review will be a neutra...
Answered 8 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: DatabasesDepartment for TransportTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62788More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department has taken to merge highway records into a single digital record to simplify conveyancing highways searches.
Answer: The Department for Transport (DfT) recognises the value of improving access to highways information for the purposes of conveyancing. For the Strategic Road Network, National Highways has taken significant steps to simplify its own land ownership records....
Answered 1 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordTortureForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62500More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to mark UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture; and what steps he plans to take at the UN General Assembly 2025 to press for internationa
Answer: The UK Government remains committed to preventing torture and tackling impunity for those who torture others. It is essential for safeguarding our security and integral to a fair legal system and the rule of law.At the UN General Assembly, we will continu...
Answered 7 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordFuneral PaymentsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 24 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62414More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, where an application for a Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payment is refused because another family member of the person who died is not in receipt of a qualifying benefit, what assessment her Department
Answer: The eligibility criteria for Funeral Expenses Payments are designed to ensure the scheme is fair for taxpayers while supporting the most vulnerable with these costs. The Funeral Expenses Payment regulations provide for those cases where there is more than...
Answered 1 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordFuneral PaymentsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 24 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62413More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how people who are responsible for funeral costs and in receipt of a qualifying benefit have an application for a Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payment refused because of the family tests in the eligibil
Answer: Table 1 shows the number of applicants responsible for funeral cost who were receipt of qualifying benefits but were refused a Funeral Expenses Payment due to the family test reasons below:There is a surviving partnerThere is a closer relativeThey are not...
Answered 26 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Rented Housing: FinanceMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 24 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62406More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a target for the number of homes funded by the Affordable Homes Programme that are available for social rent
Answer: The 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme has a target to deliver at least 40,000 social rent homes. My Department published an update on targets in that programme on 30 July 2024 which can be found on gov.uk here.
Answered 2 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordHoliday Activities and Food ProgrammeDepartment for EducationTabled 19 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61450More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 13 May 2025 to Question 49999 on Holiday Activities and Food Programme, whether she plans to continue the provision of funding for the Holidays and Activities Programme beyond the 2025
Answer: The government remains committed to the holiday activities and food (HAF) programme. We are currently working through the outcomes of the Spending Review and will share further information in relation to the future of the HAF programme in due course.
Answered 26 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordSoil: ContaminationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 19 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61448More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of land-spreading sewage sludge on soil contamination.
Answer: The Sludge (Use in Agriculture) Regulations 1989 (SUiAR) supported by the Sewage Sludge Code of Practice provide environmental and health protections from sludge spreading. The Government is continuing to work with the Environment Agency to assess the reg...
Answered 27 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordRivers: SewageDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 19 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61447More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of excess sewage sludge on river pollution.
Answer: Sludge (Use in Agriculture) Regulations 1989 (SUiAR) supported by the Sewage Sludge Code of Practice provide environmental and health protections from sludge spreading. The Government is continuing to work with the Environment Agency to assess the regulat...
Answered 27 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: WaterDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 19 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61446More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to publish updates to the Farming Rules for Water.
Answer: The updated and amended Farming Rules for Water were published on 18 June and we are continuing to support the EA to work with farmers to meet their legal obligations.
Answered 7 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 19 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61433More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy for all new homes to be built without a gas connection.
Answer: The government recognises that we need to move away from fossil fuel heating to meet our commitment to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The Future Homes Standard (FHS), to be introduced through the Building Regulations in autumn this year, will ...
Answered 30 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordHoliday Activities and Food ProgrammeDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60692More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 13 May 2025 to Question 49999 on Holiday Activities and Food Programme, following the Spending Review 2025, whether the Holiday Activities and Food Programme will continue beyond March
Answer: The government remains committed to the holiday activities and food (HAF) programme to ensure children who are eligible for free school meals can access enriching activities and healthy meals. More than £200 million has been allocated to the programme for...
Answered 25 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordNature ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60691More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to support the removal of barriers to keystone species reintroduction projects (a) in England and (b) over devolved boundaries.
Answer: The Government supports species reintroductions including keystone species, where there are clear benefits for nature, people and the environment. All reintroductions in England are expected to follow the Code for Reintroductions and other Conversations T...
Answered 24 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordRiversDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60690More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to support the reintroduction of (a) species, (b) elk, (c) water voles, (d) eels and (e) pine martens in river catchments.
Answer: The Government supports species reintroductions, where there are clear benefits for nature, people and the environment. Taking each species in turn: A) We are not aware of any active proposals for the reintroduction of elk. B) The conservation and recover...
Answered 24 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Environment ProtectionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60689More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage landowners in river catchments to transition toward nature-led farming.
Answer: We are investing £2.7 billion a year into sustainable food production and nature’s recovery, with funding for our Environmental Land Management schemes increasing by 150%. This funding is available to all farmers, includes this in river catchments. We hav...
Answered 24 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Environment ProtectionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60688More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to increase the amount of funding available to support (a) rewilding and (b) natural process-led grazing at landscape scale along (i) river and (ii) the river Wye
Answer: This Government is making the largest investment into nature in history, with over £7 billion directed into nature’s recovery. This includes environmental farming schemes (£5.9 billion), tree planting (£816 million) and peatland restoration (£85 million)....
Answered 25 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordRivers: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60687More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support restoring (a) natural processes to river corridors within river catchments and (b) (i) native vegetation, (ii) floodplain connectivity an
Answer: The England Woodland Creation Offer provides 100% of standard woodland creation capital costs and further incentivises the restoration of native riparian vegetation for water benefits through stackable supplementary payments for woodlands that improve wat...
Answered 25 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: InfrastructureTreasuryTabled 12 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 59667More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make it her policy to reclassify housing as essential infrastructure.
Answer: On 19 June, the government published UK Infrastructure: A 10 Year Strategy. This sets out a long-term vision to deliver the infrastructure needed to drive the government’s missions, backed by at least £725 billion in infrastructure investment over the nex...
Answered 20 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordAffordable Housing: EnergyMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 11 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 59259More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, to what energy standards homes under the Affordable Homes Programme will be built.
Answer: The government will publish the Future Homes Standard (FHS) this autumn to ensure new homes are zero carbon ready, meaning they will require no future retrofit work as the electricity grid fully decarbonises.The FHS will apply to all new homes and will en...
Answered 19 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordAffordable Housing: FinanceMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 11 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 59258More
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, if she will publish a target for social rent housing for (a) each year and (b) the 10 year period of fundin
Answer: The new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme that was announced at the Spending Review will deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and homeownership, with a particular focus on delivering homes for social rent. We will confirm ...
Answered 17 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordAffordable Housing: FinanceMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 11 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 59257More
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, how much and what proportion of the funding for the Affordable Homes Programme will be used for social rent
Answer: The new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme that was announced at the Spending Review will deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and homeownership, with a particular focus on delivering homes for social rent. We will confirm ...
Answered 17 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPoultry: Disease ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 58820More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of insurance requirements for companies operating intensive poultry units, in the context of (a) avian influenza and (b) other disease outbr
Answer: The UK poultry sector is highly resilient and adaptable and continues to supply healthy and affordable products in spite of the many challenges it has faced in recent years. Compensation is paid by Defra for animals culled the by HM Government for disease...
Answered 17 Jun 2025
Original Parliament record
Published records only — not a full account of an MP’s work. How we work →