Freddie van Mierlo MP: written questions 2025
395 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Members: CorrespondenceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 20 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40121More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the letter of 5 February 2025 from the Hon. Member for Henley and Thame on building a new Royal Berkshire Hospital.
Answer: I replied to the hon. Member’s letter on 21 March 2025.
Answered 25 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordMembers: CorrespondenceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 20 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40120More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to respond to the letter of 12th February 2025 from the Hon. Member for Henley and Thame on a meeting to discuss the ongoing closure of the Thames Path National Trail at
Answer: The Department has not received the hon. Member’s aforementioned letter of 12 February 2025; however, it did respond on 3 March 2025 to the hon. Member’s letter of 6 February 2025 regarding the Thames Path National Trail at the Marsh Lock Horsebridge. The...
Answered 28 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordMembers: CorrespondenceDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 20 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40119More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to respond to the letter of 17 February 2025 from the hon. Member for Henley and Thame on the ongoing closure of the Thames Path National Trail at Marsh Lock near Henley on Thames.
Answer: This is not the responsibility of this Department and I gather the Member has already received a response from DEFRA.
Answered 26 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordMembers: CorrespondenceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 20 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40118More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to respond to the letter of 17 February 2025 from the hon. Member for Henley and Thame on the closure of the Thames Path National Trail at the Marsh Lock Horsebridge in H
Answer: The Department has not received the hon. Member’s aforementioned letter of 12 February 2025; however, it did respond on 3 March 2025 to the hon. Member’s letter of 6 February 2025 regarding the Thames Path National Trail at the Marsh Lock Horsebridge. The...
Answered 28 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordProperty Development: Environment ProtectionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 19 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39718More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to make provision for grampian conditions to apply to any housing development planning applications where Ofwat has opened enforcement cases on the delayed deli
Answer: My Department is working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to ensure necessary water infrastructure is in place to support the housing the country needs. If there are firm infrastructure plans in place, our planni...
Answered 31 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordClassroom Assistants: RecruitmentDepartment for EducationTabled 19 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39717More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help support the recruitment of qualified learning support assistants.
Answer: The government values and recognises the professionalism of the entire school workforce. School support staff, including learning support assistants, play a vital role in children’s education. They are crucial to ensuring we give children the best possibl...
Answered 29 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordMembers: CorrespondenceDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 19 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39716More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to respond to the letter of 4 February 2025 from the hon. Member for Henley and Thames on the Stop Killing Games Campaign.
Answer: My Department has provided a response to the Hon Member. The Government has also responded to a recent petition on this issue.
Answered 31 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordChiltern RailwaysDepartment for TransportTabled 19 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39715More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to make a decision on the final business case submitted by Chiltern Railways.
Answer: The Department will continue to work closely with Chiltern Railways to support delivery of its train fleet renewal programme and to finalise the commercial arrangements attached to the rolling stock business case in order to deliver an improved experience...
Answered 24 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordWater Companies: PlanningMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 19 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39713More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to make water companies statutory consultees in all planning applications.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510).
Answered 24 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordSewage: Henley-on-ThamesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39212More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2025 to Question 35545 on Environment Protection: Henley-on-Thames, if he will hold discussions with Ofwat on the adequacy of the progress on the impr
Answer: My officials and I have regular conversations with Ofwat and other regulators, to discuss a range of activities, including delivery by water companies. Ahead of Price Review 24 (PR24), funding investment works through 2025 – 2030, the Horton-cum-Studley s...
Answered 1 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordGluten-free Foods: Rural AreasDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 11 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37485More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the adequacy of access to gluten-free products on people with coeliac disease in rural areas.
Answer: In addition to the wide variety of naturally gluten-free food, a wide range of gluten-free products is now readily available for purchase. The national prescribing position in England remains that gluten free bread and mixes can be provided to coeliac pat...
Answered 17 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordBrain: TumoursDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37096More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of commissioning of the use of Visualase for Inoperable brain tumours on the NHS.
Answer: The decision to commission new services sits with integrated care boards (ICBs), overseen by NHS England. For proposed new treatments which require additional investment, NHS England carries out a relative prioritisation process to determine which service...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37094More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of the efficacy of the dry weather flow data for determining impact on waste water treatment works of increased housing.
Answer: The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that strategic policies should set out an overall strategy for the pattern, scale and design quality of places and make sufficient provision for infrastructure for transport, telecommunications, security, wa...
Answered 26 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordEnvironment Agency: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37093More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the new legal and financial processes required for a partnership funding model for Environment Agency projects.
Answer: The Government inherited an outdated funding formula for allocating money to proposed flood defences. Established in 2011, the existing formula slows down the delivery of new flood schemes through a complex application process and also neglects more innov...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordInland Waterways: GrantsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37092More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the Environment Agency's grant in aid for navigation infrastructure.
Answer: Longer term Government funding decisions, including the Environment Agency’s grant in aid for navigation infrastructure, will be made at the next Spending Review.
Answered 17 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordCourt of ProtectionMinistry of JusticeTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37091More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of Court of Protection in (a) issuing granted orders and (b) training for staff.
Answer: Court orders in the Court of Protection are prepared and approved by the Judiciary before being sealed and sent to the parties by HM Courts & Tribunals Service. Regular management checks are conducted to review court processes, with additional trainin...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordGluten-free Foods: PrescriptionsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36296More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will direct NHS England to update the guidance on gluten-free food prescriptions in the document entitled Prescribing Gluten-Free Foods in Primary Care: Guidance for Clinical Commissioning Gr
Answer: NHS England currently has no plans to update the guidance. NHS England’s guidance on prescribing gluten-free foods in primary care was developed in 2018 to communicate to the then clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). The guidance stated that CCGs may fur...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDriving TestsDepartment for TransportTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36295More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the availability of (a) practical and (b) theory driving tests is commensurate with the expected number of applicants at any given time.
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) practical test booking service is live, and candidates are advised to check for new appointments regularly. Test appointments are released on a rolling 24-week basis, and slots are added as soon as they bec...
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordMeat: SmugglingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36294More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to review the (a) amount of funding and (b) current measures being used by the Border Force to seize illegal meat.
Answer: Successful Border Force-led operations resulted in the interception, seizure and safe disposal of some 114 tonnes of meat illegally imported into the United Kingdom in 2024. We are not complacent about illegal meat smuggling, which may pose threats to ani...
Answered 21 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordImmigration: UkraineHome OfficeTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36293More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of revising Ukraine visa schemes to create a potential UK settlement pathway, such as where people have no family or home to return to in Ukraine
Answer: The Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme opened to applications on 4 February 2025, which enables Ukrainians in the UK under the Ukraine visa schemes to apply for a further 18 months’ temporary permission to remain in the UK.We recognise the Ukrainian gove...
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDriver and Vehicle Standards Agency: InternetDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35991More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he plans to take to improve DVSA’s online booking service to ensure it can handle the demand for driving tests without technical issues.
Answer: As set out in the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) 2024/25 business plan, DVSA is beginning the process of replacing its booking system. The system has many uses including: booking and scheduling of all practical driving and riding testsrecord...
Answered 10 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDriving Tests: Labour Turnover and RecruitmentDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35990More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve (a) recruitment and (b) retention of driving examiners in high cost of living areas.
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) examiner recruitment campaigns continue to be successful but, like many employers, DVSA is finding the job market extremely competitive. As it moves through each recruitment campaign, DVSA will continually ...
Answered 10 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: ICTDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 5 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35989More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) ensure the interoperability of NHS IT systems and (b) reduce duplication across NHS IT systems.
Answer: Regulations will be introduced shortly to Parliament to commence section 95 of the Health and Care Act 2022 and establish the process for preparing and publishing information standards, which will be mandatory for public and private health and adult socia...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordTeachers: TrainingDepartment for EducationTabled 5 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35988More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the sufficiency of Initial Teacher Training to support Early Career Teachers to manage a variety of needs in the classroom.
Answer: High-quality teaching is the most important in-school factor for improving outcomes for all children, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or from disadvantaged backgrounds, and the department is committed to ensuring ...
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordSewage: Waste DisposalDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 5 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35987More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 February to Question 31562 on Sewage: Waste Disposal, what his planned timeline is for the conclusion of the commission to recommend reforms to reset the w
Answer: On 27 February the Commission launched a wide-ranging Call for Evidence, which is open for views from all interested parties until 23 April. This will inform the Commission’s recommendations to the UK and Welsh governments with final recommendations to c...
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament record
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