Gareth Thomas MP: written questions
229 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Low Alcohol DrinksDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 15 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82267More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to support growth in the no and low alcohol market.
Answer: In Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, the Government has committed to tackling harmful levels of alcohol consumption by exploring options to encourage consumers to reduce their alcohol intake by substituting standard strength drinks with...
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: Credit UnionsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 15 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82266More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will encourage Councils to offer payroll deduction to employees wishing to save money with a credit union.
Answer: Local authorities are independent employers responsible for the management of their own workforces including setting their own terms and conditions and employment packages in compliance with all relevant employment legislation.
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordSmall Businesses: LoansTreasuryTabled 15 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82265More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will provide the Financial Ombudsman Service with additional powers to monitor the use of personal guarantees by financial services companies for lending to small and medium sized businesses.
Answer: The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) was set up to resolve complaints between consumers and small businesses, and their financial services providers. While the Treasury sets the legal framework in which the FOS operates, the rules on how the FOS should h...
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCooperatives: CurriculumDepartment for EducationTabled 14 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 81796More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to ensure that young people are taught about co-operatives as part of the national curriculum.
Answer: A high quality citizenship education helps to provide pupils with the knowledge, skills and understanding to prepare them to play a full and active part in society. The citizenship curriculum is compulsory within the national curriculum at secondary and...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordPalestine: ReconstructionForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 14 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 81795More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps her Department plans to take to support the rebuilding of the Palestinian economy.
Answer: On 13 October, alongside representatives from the Egyptian Government and the Palestinian Authority, I co-hosted a summit at Wilton Park focused on how we can leverage in private finance to support the reconstruction of Gaza and the recovery of the Palest...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordSixth Form Colleges: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 14 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 81799More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when sixth form colleges will be able to access the £375m of capital expansion funding earmarked in the Industrial Strategy.
Answer: We know that the 16 to 19 population has been increasing in some parts of England and that extra capacity has been needed in post-16 places in some areas.The post-16 Capacity Fund has already invested £282 million between 2021 to 2025 for additional capac...
Answered 12 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordLondon North West University Healthcare NHS TrustDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 14 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 81798More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will allow London North West University Healthcare Trust to become an NHS Foundation Trust.
Answer: As outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan, our ambition is that by 2035 all provider trusts will be foundation trusts, using their freedoms to work with others and improve population health.
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordSmall Businesses: LoansDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 14 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 81797More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will ask the British Business Bank to support credit unions to offer loans to small businesses.
Answer: The British Business Bank is backing Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs) with £150 million of capital through the Community ENABLE Funding programme, to support small businesses that are under-served by commercial lenders.Credit unions play...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordMutual SocietiesTreasuryTabled 13 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 81240More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department plans to formally consult with financial mutual businesses on doubling the size of the mutual sector.
Answer: The government is committed to supporting the growth of financial mutuals in line with the manifesto commitment to double the size of the mutual and co-operative sector. HM Treasury has already announced measures to support financial mutuals and is curren...
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordMutual SocietiesTreasuryTabled 13 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 81239More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department plans to take to encourage the growth of (a) building societies and (b) mutual insurers.
Answer: The government is committed to supporting the growth of financial mutuals in line with the manifesto commitment to double the size of the mutual and co-operative sector. HM Treasury has already announced measures to support financial mutuals and is curren...
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordMutual SocietiesTreasuryTabled 13 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 81238More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department has taken with (a) building societies, (b) friendly societies and (c) mutual insurers to grow the size of the mutual sector.
Answer: The government is committed to supporting the growth of financial mutuals in line with the manifesto commitment to double the size of the mutual and co-operative sector. HM Treasury has already announced measures to support financial mutuals and is curren...
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCredit Unions: MortgagesTreasuryTabled 13 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 81241More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department plans to take to enable credit unions to offer mortgages.
Answer: The Government has made clear its strong support for the credit union sector, recognising the value that credit unions bring to their members in local communities across the country in providing savings products and affordable credit. Credit unions in Gre...
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHospitality Industry: CoronavirusDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 77973More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) pubs and (b) other hospitality businesses with outstanding covid-19 loans.
Answer: This information is not held centrally by the Department for Business and Trade.
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordBanks: LoansTreasuryTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 77972More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of bank lending to (a) individuals and (b) businesses in the key areas reviewed by the Independent Commission for Neighbourhoods.
Answer: The Government recognises that credit, when provided responsibly, supports business growth, and can be crucial for people facing unexpected expenses or managing their cash flow. The UK has a diverse landscape for credit provision to individuals and busine...
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordImports and ExportsCabinet OfficeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 77971More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the level of (a) exports and (b) imports trade (i) to the nearest billion pounds and (ii) by share with the (A) EU, (B) US and (C) rest of the world in the last period for which data
Answer: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 10th October is attached.
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordExportsCabinet OfficeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 77970More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the top 10 UK service export destinations were in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
Answer: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 10th October is attached.
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFinancial Services: UK Trade with EUTreasuryTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 77969More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an estimate of changes to the cost of trading with the EU for financial services firms based in the UK since the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement came into force.
Answer: The Trade and Cooperation Agreement remains a cornerstone of our relationship with the EU. The government is committed to its full implementation and to maximising the benefits for UK citizens and businesses. However, it is for the Office for Budget Respo...
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFoot and Mouth Disease: Disease ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 15 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76964More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with her EU counterparts on (a) the management of foot and mouth disease and (b) recent restrictions on (i) meat and (ii) dairy imports.
Answer: Defra and the European Commission regularly exchange information in relation to (a) the management of foot and mouth disease outbreaks in the European Union in 2025 and (b) the import restrictions on meat and dairy products that we put in place to protect...
Answered 13 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordIsrael: PalestiniansForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 15 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76963More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 August 2025 to Question 68668 on Israel: Palestinians, if she will have discussions with her Israeli counterparts on (a) releasing children held i
Answer: The UK regularly raises our concerns about Palestinian children in detention with the Israeli authorities. We are clear that children must always be protected, and their rights upheld in accordance with international law. We are horrified by reports of mi...
Answered 13 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordNepal: Politics and GovernmentForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 12 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76800More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the situation in Nepal.
Answer: The UK and Nepal share a deep historic relationship. We were appalled at the violence that transpired in Kathmandu and across Nepal following protests that were triggered by the Government of Nepal banning a number of social media platforms, as well as pu...
Answered 13 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordGaza: JournalismForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 11 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76551More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with international partners on greater protections for journalists in Gaza.
Answer: The UK is appalled by the extremely high number of fatalities, arrests and detentions of media workers in the State of Palestine. We have called on all parties to fully uphold International Humanitarian Law and ensure protection of civilians including jou...
Answered 3 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordGaza: Aid WorkersForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 11 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76550More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with international partners on greater protections for humanitarian workers in Gaza.
Answer: The UK has repeatedly made both public and private representations to Israel to ensure that humanitarian workers are protected and medical and aid workers can do their jobs safely.At the UN, the UK has worked to enhance the safety of aid workers by co-spo...
Answered 3 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Services and Social ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 11 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76549More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of (a) social enterprises and (b) cooperatives providing (i) NHS and (ii) social care services.
Answer: Integrated care boards have a duty to provide health services to meet the needs of their population and already work closely with the voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) sector, which includes the commissioning and delivery of services and,...
Answered 22 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordNorthwick Park HospitalDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 11 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76548More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the performance of Northwick Park Hospital on cancer in the last five years.
Answer: London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust provides cancer services at Northwick Park, Central Middlesex, Ealing, and St Mark's Hospitals, with speciality cancer teams at each site. Performance data on cancer pathways is reported at trust level.The...
Answered 18 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: LandMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 11 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76547More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will encourage local authorities to set aside land for (a) community land trusts and (b) housing cooperatives.
Answer: The government recognises that the community-led housing sector – which includes community land trusts and housing cooperatives – delivers a wide range of benefits including strengthening community participation in local decision-making, engendering commu...
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament record
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