Freddie van Mierlo MP: written questions 2026
265 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Oil: RussiaDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112979More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the volume of Russian oil transported through the English Channel by UK-sanctioned tankers in the last 12 months.
Answer: Deterring and disrupting the Russian shadow fleet is a priority for the UK, and the UK Government will continue to proactively monitor tanker activity to ensure the safety of seafarers, protect the marine environment, and for national security purposes. T...
Answered 27 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordTankers: English ChannelDepartment for TransportTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112978More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of ageing tankers, such as the 21 year old Kusto, transiting through the Channel on the environment.
Answer: The Department for Transport is clear about the risks that ageing shadow fleet vessels pose to the safety of mariners, the marine environment and the UK’s national security. The Government remains committed to deterring and disrupting the shadow fleet. Th...
Answered 26 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordRussia: OilForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112977More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of sanctions on Russian oil exports.
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 28 January in response to Question 106998.
Answered 27 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordShipping: RussiaDepartment for TransportTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112976More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of transits by sanctioned Russian-linked vessels through the Channel on national security.
Answer: The UK Government constantly monitors UK waters to ensure the safety of mariners, protect the marine environment and uphold the UK’s national security, which includes monitoring sanctioned tankers. The Department for Transport is continuing to increase sc...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HousingHome OfficeTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112813More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish timelines for (a) asylum housing pilots and (b) funding to trial local delivery of housing for people seeking asylum.
Answer: We have committed to closing every asylum hotel, and work is well underway, with more suitable sites, including military bases, being brought forward to ease pressure on communities and cut asylum costs.The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Gove...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordWorkplace PensionsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112812More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will implement safeguards to ensure that release of surplus from defined benefit schemes does not adversely impact the security of accrued benefits.
Answer: The Pension Schemes Bill will enable more trustees of well-funded defined benefit pension schemes to share surplus with employers and deliver better outcomes for members. Trustees, working with the sponsoring employer, will be responsible for determining ...
Answered 24 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordWorkplace PensionsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112811More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department plans to publish draft regulations relating to surplus extraction under the Pension Schemes Bill; and whether he plans to publish these before the Bill completes its passage through
Answer: The Pension Schemes Bill will enable more trustees of well-funded defined benefit pension schemes to share surplus with employers and deliver better outcomes for members. Trustees, working with the sponsoring employer, will be responsible for determining ...
Answered 24 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordWorkplace PensionsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112810More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for her policies of the role of (a) trustees and (b) sponsoring employers in decision-making on surplus extraction in defined benefit pension sc
Answer: The Pension Schemes Bill will enable more trustees of well-funded defined benefit pension schemes to share surplus with employers and deliver better outcomes for members. Trustees, working with the sponsoring employer, will be responsible for determining ...
Answered 24 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordTax AvoidanceTreasuryTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112809More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of setting a maximum settlement reduction of £70,000 under the revised loan charge settlement arrangements.
Answer: The Government commissioned an independent review of the loan charge to bring the matter to a close for those affected, ensure fairness for all taxpayers and ensure that appropriate support is in place for those subject to the loan charge. Because of the ...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAlzheimer's Disease: CarersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112808More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to ensure that the (a) psychological, (b) social and (b) financial impacts of caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease are accounted for as part of National Institut
Answer: In developing its recommendations, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) takes into account all health-related costs and benefits for patients and caregivers, in line with its established methods and processes.In 2022, NICE undertoo...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPlaces of Worship Renewal Fund: EnergyDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112807More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Places of Worship Renewal Fund will support energy efficiency improvements such as low carbon heating and lighting systems.
Answer: Further details regarding the eligibility criteria and application process for the new Places of Worship Renewal Fund will be published in due course.
Answered 27 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordListed Places of Worship Grant SchemeDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112806More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme on community services hosted by places of worship, including (a) food banks, (b) youth groups and
Answer: DCMS conducted an evaluation of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, which included an extensive survey of current and past scheme users and is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-the-listed-places-of-worship-sch...
Answered 27 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordStrategic Lawsuits against Public ParticipationMinistry of JusticeTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112785More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans his department has to address the potential misuse of legal proceedings for purposes associated with Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation.
Answer: I refer the honourable Member to the answer I gave on Friday 13 February to Question 111038.
Answered 27 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordProject GigabitDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112693More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what the (a) current planned deadlines are for new applications to the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, and (b) whether any changes to those deadlines are under consideration.
Answer: The Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme (GBVS) will come to an end on 31 March 2028. The following deadlines will apply to meet this closure date:31 August 2026 – New voucher project submissions.31 March 2027 – Vouchers issued. Vouchers requested but not val...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordGivinostatDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112551More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 19th January to question 105612, to ask what role the Department for Health and Social Care will have in drug price negotiations following the abolishment of NHS England.
Answer: The target operating model for the integration of NHS England operations into the Department has yet to be finalised. However, drug-price negotiations will continue uninterrupted up to and beyond April 2027, when NHS England will cease to exist as a separ...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordWater Companies: InvestmentDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112550More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (a) what estimate she has made of the proportion of the £104 billion investment package that will be funded through higher customer bills rather than through water company capital inve
Answer: The Government has secured a record £104 billion investment package to upgrade England’s water infrastructure by 2030. This investment will be funded through a combination of water company capital investment and customer bills, but the precise split canno...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordEnvironment Agency: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112549More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her department will confirm plans for the Environment Agency to hold a separate, stand alone bridges construction and maintenance budget to run alongside budgets for Locks & Weirs
Answer: Environment Agency owned bridges along the non-tidal Thames are part of the overall Navigation infrastructure. Construction and maintenance allocations for the Environment Agency’s Navigation assets has already been set for the current Spending Review pe...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPlaces of Worship Renewal FundDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112547More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to prevent funding gaps during the transition from the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme to the new Places of Worship Renewal Fund.
Answer: The Places of Worship Renewal Fund will provide an equivalent overall level of financial support to that provided by the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, £23 million per annum. The new Places of Worship Renewal Fund is a capital fund providing grant...
Answered 17 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPlaces of Worship Renewal FundDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112546More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Places of Worship Renewal Fund will provide (a) equivalent to and (b) greater financial support than the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme; and what steps she is taking to ensure
Answer: The Places of Worship Renewal Fund will provide an equivalent overall level of financial support to that provided by the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, £23 million per annum. The new Places of Worship Renewal Fund is a capital fund providing grant...
Answered 17 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordHormone Replacement TherapyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112545More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to to the answers of 5 and 17 October 2025 to Questions 77387 and 86538, what progress he has made on ensuring a reliable supply of testosterone and oestrogen HRT implants.
Answer: We are continuing to work closely with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to ensure safe access to these products. We have reached out to Specialist Importers who can source unlicensed medicines in order to find alternative sou...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordDementia: ResearchDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111042More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding was allocated to dementia research by (a) the National Institute for Health and Care Research and (b) UK Research and Innovation in each of the last five years.
Answer: Government responsibility for delivering dementia research is shared between the Department of Health and Social Care, with research delivered via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department for Science, Innovation and T...
Answered 10 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordNHS: NegligenceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111041More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the length of time medical malpractice legal proceedings take to complete on (a) families and (b) staff.
Answer: NHS Resolution handles claims for compensation against National Health Service providers of healthcare and has a strategic priority to keep patients and healthcare staff out of litigation to minimise distress. To achieve this, NHS Resolution deploys a ran...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordCrown CourtMinistry of JusticeTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111040More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of trends in the number of court sitting days on the Crown Court backlog.
Answer: We have funded 112,250 Crown Court sitting days this financial year – 5,000 more than the previous Government and a record number. The Deputy Prime Minister has made clear that sitting days will continue to increase in both the Crown and magistrates’ cour...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordCrown Court and JuriesMinistry of JusticeTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111039More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which (a) professional bodies and (b) legal organisations his Department consulted prior to the publication of proposals to restrict jury trials; and what alternative measures his Department has considered to red
Answer: In developing his recommendations, Sir Brian Leveson and his expert advisers, including Professor David Ormerod, engaged with many external bodies and organisations with invaluable expertise of our Criminal Justice System including criminal legal organisa...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordStrategic Lawsuits against Public ParticipationMinistry of JusticeTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111038More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to reform powers in relation to Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation cases.
Answer: The Government implemented the Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) measures in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA) in June 2025, which provides protection against SLAPPs relating to economic crime. While t...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
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