Freddie van Mierlo MP: written questions 2024
75 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Broadband: Rural AreasDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 19 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 21460More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps is he taking to ensure that all villages are included the rollout of broadband infrastructure.
Answer: The Government is committed to the rollout of fast, reliable broadband to all parts of the UK. So far we have over 30 Project Gigabit contracts in place, filling in gaps that are not being met commercially, predominantly in rural areas. This includes a co...
Answered 8 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordMuseums and Galleries: FinanceDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 17 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20899More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of financial support provided to (a) the River and Rowing museum in Henley-on-Thames and (b) other museums outside London.
Answer: We have made no such specific assessment about the River and Rowing museum, but we are keen to see museums outside London flourish. Funding is tight, but DCMS oversees the £86m Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND), which invests in museum infrastruct...
Answered 20 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordFamily Hubs: OxfordshireDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20871More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to extend Start for Life and Family Hub funding to include Oxfordshire.
Answer: The Prime Minister’s Plan for Change outlined that there will be investment to continue to build up the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme. In 2025/26, this investment will fund the 75 local authorities in England with high levels of deprivation tha...
Answered 6 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordAlzheimer's Disease: DrugsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20108More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of NICE methodology in appraising innovative medicines for licensed for Alzheimer's Disease.
Answer: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for the methods and processes it uses to develop recommendations on whether new medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of National Health Service resources. The N...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordToys and Games: SafetyDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 13 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20107More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that Christmas toys sold through online retailers are safe.
Answer: Government is committed to ensuring that only safe products can be sold. Under the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011, all toys placed on the market must meet essential safety requirements. The Office for Product Safety and Standards runs the national Online ...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordNational Landscapes: Environment ProtectionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 12 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19824More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 1 November 2024 to Question 11126 on National Landscapes: Environment Protection, what steps the Government is taking to make National Landscapes wilder and g
Answer: This Government is committed to making Protected Landscapes greener, wilder and more accessible. We have just announced our intent to strengthen legislation, when parliamentary time allows, and this will form part of a wider package of tools and resourcin...
Answered 20 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordNational LandscapesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 12 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19819More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 26 November 2024 to Question 14870 on National Landscapes and with reference to section 245 of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023, for what reas
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer, as corrected, given to Question UIN 14870 on 26 November 2024.
Answered 7 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordMedical TreatmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19191More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support NHS Trusts to speed up access to innovative therapies before MHRA approval through Early Access Programmes.
Answer: NHS England has issued national policy guidelines on free of charge schemes, which are available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/free-of-charge-foc-medicines-schemes-national-policy-recommendations-for-local-systems/The only fre...
Answered 16 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordGivinostatDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19190More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients were in receipt of Givinostat through the Early Access Programme on 10 December 2024; and if he will make an assessment of the potential barriers to accessing the Early Access Pro
Answer: The information on how many patients were in receipt of givinostat through the Early Access Programme (EAP) on 10 December 2024 is not held centrally, as the scheme was set up by the manufacturer.We have made no assessment of access to the EAP for givinos...
Answered 17 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordState Retirement Pensions: National Insurance ContributionsTreasuryTabled 9 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18823More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to reduce (a) delays and (b) complexities in obtaining the necessary information to purchase additional years of National Insurance contributions to maximise their state pension (a) faced by
Answer: To support customers, HMRC and DWP enhanced the online Check your State Pension forecast service in April 2024. New functionality enables the majority of working age customers to self-serve by viewing their State Pension forecast, see payable gaps and mak...
Answered 17 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordDormiceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 4 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18031More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Glis Glis (edible dormouse) on (a) indigenous species and (b) property; and whether he plans to take steps to reduce this i
Answer: An assessment of the risk of edible dormouse (Glis Glis) published by the Great Britain Non-Native Species Secretariat identified that there were potential impacts of edible dormouse on native species of hole nesting birds and on trees. It also identified...
Answered 12 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordHospitals: ConstructionDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18030More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the New Hospital Programme review, when the (a) options and (b) recommendations for the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading will be published; and when he plans to announce which ho
Answer: The new hospital scheme for the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust at the Royal Berkshire Hospital is in the scope of the review into the New Hospital Programme.We are finalising the outcome of the review so we can be honest and upfront with everyone on...
Answered 10 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Justice: Translation ServicesMinistry of JusticeTabled 4 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18029More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when she plans to publish the independent review of her Department’s language services.
Answer: We have been considering the findings of the independent review to help inform the development of new tender specifications. This is a complex process and covers a wide range of agencies within the Ministry of Justice. Once all internal governance has bee...
Answered 12 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Justice: InterpretersMinistry of JusticeTabled 4 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18028More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to ensure the adequacy of services provided by interpreters to her Department.
Answer: The Ministry of Justice operates a robust performance and quality regime for these services. Interpreter fulfilment of bookings is the service provided by suppliers under contract, and their performance is managed through contract management. The quality ...
Answered 12 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Justice: Translation ServicesMinistry of JusticeTabled 4 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18027More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of replacing external (a) translation and (b) interpretation services provided to her Department with services provided by departmental staff.
Answer: The Ministry of Justice considered the potential for bringing the service fully or partially in-house when assessing its options. The outcome of the assessment indicated an outsourced model continued to be the best value for taxpayers’ money, taking accou...
Answered 12 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordLiquefied Petroleum GasDepartment for TransportTabled 28 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 16830More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the (a) consumption of liquefied petroleum gas by (i) classic cars and (ii) other vehicles and (b) availability of
Answer: DVLA transport statistics show a steady decline in the number of vehicles licensed on UK roads that run on LPG. At their peak in 2010 there were approximately 50,000 vehicles compared to 27,000 at the end of 2023. As the transition to zero exhaust emissio...
Answered 3 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordEnvironment Agency: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 26 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 16435More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of trends in the levels of real terms funding to the Environment Agency between 2010 and 2024.
Answer: Environment Agency (EA) funding is closely monitored to ensure that the EA can carry out its duties and functions effectively. Since 2010-11, the EA’s funding has risen from £1.3 billion to £2.1 billion in 2024-25. This is a real terms increase of just ov...
Answered 3 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordIndependent Water Commission: EutrophicationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 25 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 16068More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether nutrient pollution will be within the remit of the Independent Water Commission; and how the Commission will interact with the rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Pla
Answer: On 23 October, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Welsh Government, launched an Independent Commission on the water sector regulatory system, to fundamentally transform how our water system works and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for go...
Answered 3 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordWater: StandardsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15607More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has (a) held recent discussions with local stakeholders on (i) when bathing water status applications will reopen and (ii) the consultation of bathing water stat
Answer: Both Defra Minsters and officials have been engaging with stakeholders before and following the launch of the public consultation. Following this consultation and analysis of responses, we will consider the most appropriate time to reopen applications for...
Answered 27 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordWater: StandardsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15606More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the powers of the Environmental Agency to (a) monitor and (b) maintain bathing water (i) status and (ii) quality.
Answer: The Environment Agency (EA) is the appropriate agency for monitoring and managing bathing waters in England. Their operational duties ensure the required testing and monitoring of bathing waters, and pollution risk forecasting during the bathing season. O...
Answered 27 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordWater: StandardsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15605More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure high quality water in bathing water designated areas inland.
Answer: Designated bathing waters are monitored by the Environment Agency (EA) throughout the bathing season which enables them to assess what action is needed to improve water quality. Sites which receive classifications of poor standard will be subject to an ac...
Answered 27 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordFloods: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15581More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2024 to Question 8075 on Floods: Government Assistance, for what reason her Department's Property Flood Resilience grant scheme was not activated i
Answer: The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) coordinates the Government’s Flood Recovery Framework (FRF). Although Defra’s Property Flood Resilience (PFR) grant scheme is not part of FRF, it has always been activated alongside the FR...
Answered 2 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordNHS: Take-upDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15553More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the uptake of (a) digital innovation and (b) patient data systems within the NHS.
Answer: NHS England is working closely with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the Accelerated Access Collaborative to improve the process for uptake of innovative digital health technolo...
Answered 27 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordPhysician Associates: Finance and IncentivesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15552More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will review the (a) incentives and (b) funding for physician associates.
Answer: There is no current plan to review the funding for Physician Associates’ (PAs) training or pay. The Government has commissioned an independent review on the PA and Anaesthesia Associate professions. This review will consider the safety of the roles, and t...
Answered 27 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordPhysician Associates: TrainingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15551More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of (a) patient knowledge of the training physicians associates receive and (b) information available in general practice for patients on physician
Answer: On 20 November 2024, the Government announced that it is establishing an independent review of the physician associate and anaesthesia associate professions. It will consider the safety of the roles, and their contribution to multidisciplinary healthcare ...
Answered 27 Nov 2024
Original Parliament record
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