Esther McVey MP: written questions 2025
179 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Prisons: DrugsMinistry of JusticeTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48895More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to tackle illegal drug use in prisons.
Answer: Drugs pose a significant challenge in prisons, with nearly half of prisoners having an identified drug need. It is therefore crucial we have a multi-pronged approach to tackling drugs, combining security focused activity with treatment and recovery initia...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPrisons: DrugsMinistry of JusticeTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48894More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many illegal drug incidents were recorded in prisons by the gender of the prisoner in each of the last five years.
Answer: Drugs pose a significant challenge in prisons, with nearly half of prisoners having an identified drug need. It is therefore crucial we have a multi-pronged approach to tackling drugs, combining security focused activity with treatment and recovery initia...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordHMP Styal: StaffMinistry of JusticeTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48893More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of staffing levels at HMP Styal.
Answer: The number of prison officers at Bands 3-5 at HMP Styal is currently 97% of the target staffing figure. Recruitment is in progress to fill the vacant positions.Prison staffing models remain under regular review. This includes looking at elements of curren...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordKnutsford Town Council: FinanceMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45609More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much Government funding was allocated to Knutsford Town Council in each of the last three years.
Answer: Knutsford Town Council was awarded a £560,000 grant in September 2023 through the Community Ownership Fund help fund the refurbishment of the Market Hall.
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordGeoengineeringDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44965More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of solar radiation modification technologies on the atmosphere.
Answer: Given the significant uncertainty around the possible risks and impacts of deployment on the climate and environment, the Government is not deploying SRM and has no plans to do so.
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDevelopment Aid: RoadsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44442More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much money has been spent in overseas aid on roads in each of the last five years.
Answer: FCDO Official Development Assistance in Road Infrastructure 2020 to 2024YearSpend per Year in £ Million202055.2202155.8202226.7202322.1202411.2Source: FCDO Aid Management Platform.
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordVaccine Damage Payment Scheme: CoronavirusDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44217More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of claims have been submitted to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme for (a) fatalities and (b) illnesses for Covid 19 vaccines.
Answer: As of 31 March 2025, 19,895 claims had been submitted to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme relating to COVID-19 vaccination. 18,724, or 94% of these claims, were submitted for illnesses relating to COVID-19 vaccination and 1,171, or 6% of these claims, we...
Answered 11 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCoronavirus: VaccinationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44216More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has received the final post-authorisation safety study report for the BNT162b2 covid-19 vaccine.
Answer: A post-authorisation safety study is a study that is carried out after a medicine has been authorised to obtain further information on a medicine's safety, or to measure the effectiveness of risk-management measures.A total of 22 clinical studies are incl...
Answered 17 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPrimodosDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43045More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason Primodos was not within the terms of reference of the Hughes Report: options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh, published on 7 February 2024.
Answer: The Government is hugely sympathetic to the families who believe that they or their children have suffered following the use of hormone pregnancy tests.The previous administration did not ask the Patient Safety Commissioner, Dr Henrietta Hughes, to look a...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCoronavirus: ResearchDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 5 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35647More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority case rulings with reference (a) AUTH/3815/8/23 and (b) 3886/3/24 on Moderna’s NextCOVE trial in children, if he will make an
Answer: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the Health Research Authority, and the Research Ethics Committee (REC) review and approve clinical trials on the basis of the benefits and risks, in line with the UK Clinical Trials regulator...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordCoronavirus: VaccinationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35251More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to paragraph 3.7 of the minutes of the Covid-19 Vaccine Benefit Risk Expert Working Group held on 18 November 2020, if he will publish the risk-based evaluation for the Pfizer/BioNTe
Answer: The reactogenicity of vaccines refers to their capacity to produce common or “expected” adverse reactions following vaccination such as fever, tiredness, and a sore arm at the vaccination site. These reactions, and the frequency with which they occur, are...
Answered 12 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordCoronavirus: VaccinationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35250More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to paragraph 3.19 of the minutes of the Covid-19 Vaccine Benefit Risk Expert Working Group held on 18 November 2020, if he will publish the communications undertaken to inform recipi
Answer: The reactogenicity of vaccines refers to their capacity to produce common or “expected” adverse reactions following vaccination such as fever, tiredness, and a sore arm at the vaccination site. These reactions, and the frequency with which they occur, are...
Answered 12 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Energy Security and Net Zero: ContractsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 34836More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what information his Department holds on the number of public sector projects contracted by his Department that have had cost overruns due to mandatory net zero requirements since 5 July 2024
Answer: This information is not held centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Answered 6 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordTreasury: ProcurementTreasuryTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 34835More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many procurement contracts awarded by her Department since 5 July 2024 have been terminated due to non-performance.
Answer: No contracts awarded by HM Treasury since 5 July 2024 have been terminated for that reason.
Answered 6 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordTreasury: ProcurementTreasuryTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 34834More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many procurement contracts awarded by her Department since 5 July 2024 have been awarded without competitive tendering.
Answer: No contracts covered by the Public Contracts Regulations have been awarded by HM Treasury since 5 July 2024 without competitive tendering.
Answered 6 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordTreasury: ContractsTreasuryTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 34833More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many public contracts awarded by her Department since 5 July 2024 have been awarded to companies with offshore tax arrangements.
Answer: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. Where it makes business sense to do so, HM Treasury procures goods and services via Crown Commercial Service (CCS) framework agreements. Suppliers on t...
Answered 6 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Business and Trade: ContractsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 34832More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many and what proportion of public contracts awarded by his Department since 5 July 2024 have been awarded to (a) British SMEs and (b) companies based abroad.
Answer: The Department of Business and Trade has awarded and published 167 contracts over £10,000 ex VAT since 5 July 2024; 44 of which were to UK based SMEs, and 22 to companies based abroad.
Answered 6 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordChild Maintenance Service: PowersDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 28 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34609More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to increase the powers of the Child Maintenance Service to obtain accurate data on self-employed parents.
Answer: For self-employed paying parents, the gross income used in a maintenance calculation is provided by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). People who are self-employed are required to keep accurate records of their business income and expenses for tax purposes....
Answered 10 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordVaccine Damage Payment Scheme: AppealsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34608More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the information on the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) claim process, published by the NHS Business Services Authority, if he will publish the past tribunal decisions and cas
Answer: Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) appeals are heard by the First-tier Social Security and Child Support Tribunal. The tribunal does not publish these decisions as they are non-binding and contain personal information.First-tier tribunal decisions do no...
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordFamily ProceedingsMinistry of JusticeTabled 27 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34249More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of (a) how often family court proceedings are delayed on the day of the hearing and (b) the reason for those delays.
Answer: His Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service does not currently hold this data but a pilot of digital reforms in the family court is due to be rolled out later this year for private law proceedings and data on delays to court hearings will then be availab...
Answered 7 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHospitals: Waiting ListsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 24 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32996More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Prime Minister's Office press release entitled Over two million extra NHS appointments delivered early as trusts handed £40 million to go further and faster, published on 16 F
Answer: Information related to the baseline and methodology for the additional appointments delivered is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/recovery-of-elective_activity-mi/
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordCoronavirus: VaccinationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 12 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 31019More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 23741 on Coronavirus: Vaccination, if he will publish (a) the questions posed to Pfizer/BioNTech and (b) the answers received that do not relat
Answer: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) does not intend to publish these questions, or any subsequent responses received from the manufacturers. It is routine practice for regulatory authorities to ask developers of new medicines an...
Answered 28 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordHigh Speed 2 Line: TattonDepartment for TransportTabled 31 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27848More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many residential properties have been purchased in preparation for HS2 Phase 2b; and what proportion of these have been vacant for longer than six months in Tatton Constituency.
Answer: 720 residential properties in total have been acquired on the former HS2 Phase 2b route. Of these, 59 are in the Tatton constituency, of which 19 have been vacant for more than six months.
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordCoronavirus: VaccinationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 20 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24840More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 23741 on Coronavirus: Vaccination, for what reason the MHRA has temporarily withdrawn the collection of minutes from the Commission on Human Me
Answer: To ensure the accuracy of redactions within the minutes in question the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has temporarily withdrawn the meeting minutes of the Vaccine Benefit Risk Expert Working Group to ensure accurate and transp...
Answered 3 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal GovernmentMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 20 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24839More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department provides guidance to chief executives of local authorities on attending meetings with Rt hon. and hon. Members.
Answer: The department does not issue such guidance. Councils are independent, democratic bodies accountable to the communities they serve.
Answered 28 Jan 2025
Original Parliament record
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