Freddie van Mierlo MP: written questions
280 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Pharmacy: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42183More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has plans to link pharmacy funding to inflation and National Living Wage increases.
Answer: We have taken the necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at the Autumn Budget, and this enabled the Spending Review settlement of a £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department from 2023/24 outturn to 2025/26.T...
Answered 2 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordInnovative Medicines FundDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41685More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of the ringfenced £340 million budget for the Innovative Medicines Fund has been spent in each year since its launch in June 2022.
Answer: The Innovative Medicines Fund (IMF) was established to provide a funding mechanism for promising non-cancer medicines recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for a period of managed access to address uncertainties in th...
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordInnovative Medicines FundDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41684More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of the (a) adequacy of the entry criteria for the Innovative Medicines Fund and (b) whether these present barriers to patients accessing medicines in areas
Answer: The Innovative Medicines Fund (IMF) was launched in June 2022, building on the successful Cancer Drugs Fund and supporting patient access to the most promising new medicines while further evidence is collected on their use to address clinical uncertainty....
Answered 31 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth: QuestionnairesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41683More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on the suitability of the EQ-5D questionnaire as tool for measuring caregiver quality of life improvements.
Answer: I regularly meet with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to discuss a range of issues. The NICE is responsible for the methods and processes that it uses in its health technology evaluations. The NICE’s health technology evaluati...
Answered 31 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordTax Evasion: BusinessesTreasuryTabled 26 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41682More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to (a) reduce the levels of tax evasion by of cash-only high street businesses and (b) support small businesses to adopt card payment systems.
Answer: HMRC is committed to ensuring the tax system operates fairly and efficiently, creating a level playing field for compliant businesses. Most businesses pay what they owe, but a minority fail to register or only declare a portion of their earnings for tax. ...
Answered 31 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordRiver Thames: Bridges and Public FootpathsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 24 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40938More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2025 to Question 37093 on Environment Agency: Finance, if he will take steps to fast track the flood and coastal erosion risk management grant-in-aid
Answer: The Government’s Spending Review process will consider all of the investment requests relating to the non-tidal Thames navigation assets. The Environment Agency (EA) will then develop its medium-term capital delivery programme based on the benefits, oppor...
Answered 2 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: ICTDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 24 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40937More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the NHS National Program for IT.
Answer: The final cost and benefits statement for the programmes delivered under the National Programme for Information Technology was published on 6 June 2013, and can be found online on the GOV.UK website.
Answered 27 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordMedical Records: DatabasesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 24 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40936More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of trends in the level of NHS trusts having electronic records.
Answer: No assessment of these trends has been made. Currently, we have achieved a 91% rollout of Electronic Patient Records (EPR), with work underway to provide tailored support to the remaining 19 trusts that do not yet have an EPR.The programme is forecasting ...
Answered 27 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordCharities: Employers' ContributionsDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 24 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40728More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to employer National Insurance contribution on (a) local animal shelters, (b) other small charities and (c) the whole charitable
Answer: DCMS Ministers have met with representatives from the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector to discuss this issue and are aware of their concerns about the impacts of the increase to employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs). The govern...
Answered 31 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: DisabilityMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 20 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40122More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take through the National Planning Policy Framework to ensure the adequate provision of M4(2) and M4(3) compliant housing in Henley and Thame constituency
Answer: The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 requires local planning authorities to assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including those of older and disabled people, and...
Answered 26 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordMembers: 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 record
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