Esther McVey MP: written questions 2026
165 published records · newest first.
Written questions
State Retirement Pensions: British Nationals AbroadDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116142More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are claiming a UK State Pension whilst living abroad by the country they are living in.
Answer: There were around 1.1 million recipients of the UK State Pension living overseas outside the United Kingdom as of the quarter ending August 2025. DWP Stat-Xplore. A full breakdown by country of residence is also available via Stat-Xplore. These figures re...
Answered 4 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordBrass Bands and Opera: ExpenditureDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116141More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much the Arts Council has provided in grants for a) opera and b) brass bands in each of the last three years.
Answer: The tables in the attached PDF set out Arts Council England grants which support a) opera and b) brass bands for the years 2022/2023, 2023/2024, and 2024/2025. Please note that the distinction between Primary and Non-Primary Subclassifiers is important. I...
Answered 5 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordCare Trusts: Hospital BedsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116140More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the bed capacity was in each NHS care trust in each of the last five years.
Answer: NHS England publishes data on general and acute bed occupancy and capacity. The data can be found at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/bed-availability-and-occupancy/
Answered 9 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordCare Trusts: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116139More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the annual budget for each individual NHS care trust was in each of the last five years.
Answer: The trust accounts consolidation data publications for National Health Service trusts and NHS foundation trusts include total operating income and expenditure, and are available for the last five financial years. Data for 2024/25 is currently being finali...
Answered 9 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordCare Trusts and NHS Trusts: InquiriesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116138More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average cost was of an inquiry into (a) NHS trust and (b) care trusts in the last 12 months.
Answer: There were three statutory and non-statutory inquiries into National Health Service trusts and care trusts commissioned by the Department in the 2025/26 financial year. The average cost per inquiry over this period is approximately £4.3 million.
Answered 4 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordMental Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116137More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of mental health patients per caseworker across the country.
Answer: The information is not held in the format requested.
Answered 10 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordVAT: RepaymentsTreasuryTabled 12 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 113072More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2025 to Question 98773 on VAT: Repayments, how many of the (a) VAT repayment returns, (b) complaints received relating to VAT repayments and (c) complaints received directly rel
Answer: Between 1 June to 30 November 2025, HMRC processed around 600,000 VAT repayment returns that were under £1,000 in value. HMRC are unable to confirm how many of the 162 and 119 complaints referenced in PQ answer 98773 relate to VAT refunds which are under ...
Answered 26 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordLord MandelsonCabinet OfficeTabled 12 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 113071More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he expects to bring forward legislation to strip Lord Mandelson of his peerage.
Answer: The Government will provide further details about legislation to create a system to remove peerages from peers in due course.
Answered 10 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordLord DoyleCabinet OfficeTabled 12 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 113070More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will (a) make a statement and (b) bring forward legislation to strip Lord Doyle of his peerage.
Answer: An ongoing investigation is being carried out by the Labour Party.
Answered 2 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordFolic AcidDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 12 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 113069More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to The Bread and Flour (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2024, what steps he has taken to avoid harm to people unable to take folic acid.
Answer: The Government laid legislation in England on 14 November 2024 to introduce the mandatory fortification of non-wholemeal wheat flour with folic acid. Similar legislation in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland has also been laid. The provisions will beco...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordCoronavirus: ResearchDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 5 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111118More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2026 to Question 109089 on Coronavirus: Research, when the UK Health Security Agency requested the report.
Answer: Routine audit outcomes by the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority are not generally published or otherwise required to be shared externally beyond the parties involved. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) requested this report from Moderna...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: CostsDepartment for EducationTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110369More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether comparisons of the cost of maintained and independent special school placements take account of differences in (a) pupil needs, (b) placement complexity, and (c) length of placement.
Answer: Comparisons of the average cost of placements in different types of special school can be made at national level. The data collected on relevant local and central government expenditure is not differentiated on the basis of pupil needs, placement complexi...
Answered 4 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: CostsDepartment for EducationTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110368More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (a) methodology and (b) data the Department uses to (i) calculate and (ii) compare the average cost of maintained special school placements and independent school placements.
Answer: For maintained special schools and special academies, the department uses local authorities’ actual expenditure on high needs top-up funding, to which is added the £10,000 per place funding using pupil numbers from the January school census, divided by th...
Answered 4 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordCoronavirus: ResearchDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109089More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2026 to Question 106102 on Coronavirus: Research, for what reason they have yet to receive a copy of the audit; and how the scope of the recommendations can be
Answer: The UK Health Security Agency has requested this report and continues discussions with Moderna on their response to the audit’s recommendations. This is being considered and reviewed alongside the commercial management of the Moderna-United Kingdom Strate...
Answered 4 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordCoronavirus: ResearchDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 15 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106102More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2025 to Question 59379 on Coronavirus: Research, and with reference to FOI 15/11/25/IR/575, when the UKHSA expects to receive the report from (a) Moderna and (b) P
Answer: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has yet to receive a copy of the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) audit report. However, as part of the United Kingdom’s Strategic Partnership with Moderna, the UKHSA is working to understand ...
Answered 26 Jan 2026
Original Parliament record
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