Elsie Blundell MP: written questions
123 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Employment Schemes: Greater ManchesterDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46031More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support people into work in (a) north Greater Manchester and (b) Heywood and Middleton North constituency.
Answer: Those who are economically inactive due to ill health or other disadvantages will be supported into work through the inactivity trailblazer programme. Additionally, Greater Manchester’s Working Well programme offers support to residents at risk of or curr...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordUnemployment: Greater ManchesterDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46030More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the proportion of 18 to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training in north Greater Manchester.
Answer: As part of our plan to Get Britain Working, we will launch a new Youth Guarantee for all young people aged 18-21 in England to ensure that they can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or help to find work. The Youth Guarantee will bui...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEmployment Schemes: Greater ManchesterDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46029More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she is taking steps to prioritise areas of high economic inactivity in north Greater Manchester through the inactivity trailblazer programme.
Answer: All local authorities in Greater Manchester, including Rochdale, Wigan, Bolton, and Bury, will be involved in implementing an Economic Inactivity Trailblazer. Greater Manchester will receive £10 million in funding in 2025/26 to take steps towards reducing...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCourts: Greater ManchesterMinistry of JusticeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42702More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to target additional judicial resources toward court settings which are at capacity in Greater Manchester.
Answer: We are continuing to invest in judicial recruitment nationally, across all jurisdictions, with plans to recruit around 1000 judges and tribunal members in 2025-26; and around 2,000 magistrates in 2025-26, and annually thereafter. Following recruitment, re...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: North of EnglandDepartment for TransportTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42701More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to mitigate rail congestion across East-West rail lines in the north of England.
Answer: The Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline portfolio contains some of the most transformative and important programmes in the country such as the TransPennine Route Upgrade, which will increase capacity and improve reliability of East to West rail lines in th...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: North of EnglandDepartment for TransportTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42700More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the deliverability of the Northern Powerhouse Rail project.
Answer: As announced in the Autumn 2024 Budget, we are maintaining momentum on Northern Powerhouse Rail by progressing planning and design works to support future delivery. This improved rail connectivity in the north is a vital step towards better linking people...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordTransport: North of EnglandDepartment for TransportTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42699More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure the resilience of critical transport infrastructure in the north of England.
Answer: The government is committed to ensuring the resilience of the transport network across the UK, including vital services in the North of England. We work closely with transport operators to prevent and respond to the range of risks the sector faces: and ai...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordChildcare: DisadvantagedDepartment for EducationTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42698More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure families from disadvantaged backgrounds have access to high quality childcare provision.
Answer: The government’s Plan for Change sets out a commitment to give children the best start in life. Low-income families, children with education, health and care plans and looked after children are eligible for 15 hours funded early education from age two unt...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDelivery Services: Crimes against the PersonHome OfficeTabled 20 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40006More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help tackle (a) violence and (b) abuse against retail delivery drivers.
Answer: Shop theft continues to increase at an unacceptable level with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers to do this. We will not stand for this. Everybody has a right to feel safe at their place of work.Through our Crime and Pol...
Answered 28 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordShipping: Vocational GuidanceDepartment for TransportTabled 20 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40005More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she plans to take to help increase awareness of careers in the maritime sector.
Answer: The Department continues to support industry to improve the awareness of careers in the maritime sector though the implementation of the Ratings Review and the Cadet Review, both of which were undertaken by the Maritime Skills Commission. The Cadet Review...
Answered 25 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordPorts: Energy SupplyDepartment for TransportTabled 20 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40004More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she plans to take to support the use of shore power technology to aid maritime decarbonisation.
Answer: The Government has published its Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy and a core policy within this is taking action to reduce emissions from vessels whilst at berth. Whilst the Government remains technology neutral, we recognise that shore power will play a...
Answered 28 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordTourism: Ferries and Passenger ShipsDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 20 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40003More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department plans to take to help promote maritime tourism for both (a) ferry and (b) cruise markets.
Answer: The UK is a leading hub for the global cruise industry, with ports such as Southampton, Dover, Greenock and Liverpool welcoming more than 3 million passengers annually.The Department regularly engages with a range of stakeholders across the tourism sector...
Answered 16 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMental Health Services: Heywood and Middleton NorthDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 12 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37753More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve mental health services for (a) young men, (b) young women and (c) vulnerable people in Heywood and Middleton North constituency.
Answer: We know that waits for children and young people's mental health services are lengthy and that some vulnerable groups are less likely to access support. That is why the National Health Service’s planning guidance for 2025/26 makes it clear that one of the...
Answered 20 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDetaineesForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 12 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37752More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress he has made on appointing a special envoy for complex detention cases.
Answer: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to strengthening support for British Nationals overseas, including through the appointment of an Envoy for complex detention cases. Further details will be announced in due course.
Answered 19 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordArts: Heywood and Middleton NorthDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 12 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37751More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support the creative industries in Heywood and Middleton North constituency.
Answer: The creative industries are one of the government’s eight priority Industrial Strategy (IS) sectors. In 2023, the sector employed 2.4m people, and contributed £124bn in UK GVA – more than 5% of total UK GVA.The Industrial Strategy is being designed and im...
Answered 20 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordFoster CareDepartment for EducationTabled 5 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35827More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will (a) extend legal protections for and (b) improve financial security available to foster carers.
Answer: The Children’s Act 1989 and subsequent statutory guidance sets out strong safeguards to protect foster carers from unfair treatment, including the requirement for fostering services to have a complaints procedure and whistle-blowing policy. The department...
Answered 22 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordFoster CareDepartment for EducationTabled 5 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35826More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help retain skilled and experienced foster carers.
Answer: Currently, there are ten fostering regional programmes active across England, collaborating with 64% of all local authorities to recruit and retain foster carers who will provide loving homes, local to the children who need them. An additional £15 million...
Answered 18 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordRussia: Crimes of AggressionForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 5 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35825More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will advocate for a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against (a) President Putin and (b) the political leadership of the Russian Federation.
Answer: The UK continues to support work towards establishing a Special Tribunal on the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, and is playing an active role in the Core Group established by Ukraine to progress this work. Senior UK legal and policy experts attended ...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordAirports: ParkingDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35824More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to introduce an independent organisation to (a) monitor and (b) control parking fees at airports.
Answer: As commercial businesses it is for airport operators to manage and justify the amount and advertising of parking charges. Parking arrangements are subject to contractual agreements between airport operators, car parking companies and covered by consumer l...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDeathMinistry of JusticeTabled 5 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35823More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has considered establishing an independent national oversight mechanism for deaths involving (a) state and (b) law enforcement bodies.
Answer: The Government is committed to improving transparency and accountability in the state’s response to learning from investigations involving state-related deaths and more widely. To this end, we are actively considering how we can most effectively address c...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordBreakfast ClubsDepartment for EducationTabled 4 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35417More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department issues on timings schools will be expected to run free breakfast clubs to and from on a given day.
Answer: From the start of the summer term, early adopter schools will be expected to deliver a free, universal breakfast club providing childcare and food for at least 30 minutes, immediately before the start of the compulsory school day. This will also be a requ...
Answered 12 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordTelecommunications: InfrastructureDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 34993More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to take steps to help ensure private telecommunications infrastructure providers are unable to install hardware without consultation with local communities.
Answer: We deprecate the installation of unnecessarily intrusive telecommunications infrastructure, especially where operators have not cooperated in sharing infrastructure or followed guidelines such as consulting communities. Planning regulations aim to strike ...
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordBreakfast Clubs: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 34992More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for how long will the Government fund free breakfast clubs.
Answer: The department has introduced the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill which will mean every state-funded school with primary aged children will offer a free breakfast club. This will ensure every child, regardless of circumstance, can have a supportive ...
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordVeteransMinistry of DefenceTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 34991More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he is taking steps to increase his Department's support for (a) Commonwealth veterans and (b) British army veterans born outside of the UK.
Answer: This is a Government of service that will always stand up for those who serve our country. I am working across Government and with civil society to ensure veterans get access to the support they need. The Government is deeply grateful to all those who ser...
Answered 10 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordSmall Businesses: GrantsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34048More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to take steps to (a) improve signposting and (b) create a central database for small and medium enterprises on grants for which they are eligible.
Answer: SMEs can identify available government grants to check which ones they are eligible to apply for on the Find Government Grants page on www.gov.uk. As part of efforts to better support growth and productivity across the UK’s 5.5 million SMEs, the Departmen...
Answered 7 Mar 2025
Original Parliament record
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