Graham Leadbitter MP: written questions
91 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Statutory Sick PayDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36279More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the rate of statutory sick pay.
Answer: No one should be forced to choose between their health and financial hardship. Through the Employment Rights Bill we are strengthening Statutory Sick Pay. Up to 1.3 million low-paid employees will now be entitled to Statutory Sick Pay and all eligible emp...
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy: MetersDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36278More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with DCC to ensure there will be alternate smart meter connections in rural areas.
Answer: The Data Communications Company (DCC) is required to assess opportunities to increase the overall level of communications network coverage for Great Britain beyond its currently provisioned minimum level of 99.25%.The DCC are examining a number of options...
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordScientists: Migrant WorkersDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36277More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he has taken to encourage scientists to emigrate to the UK.
Answer: The UK offers one of the strongest science bases in the world, with world-leading universities and research institutions, with opportunities in growing areas like quantum and AI. The UK’s immigration offer enables talented scientists, researchers and inno...
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordAlexander IrvineDepartment for TransportTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35109More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February to Question 32303 on Alexander Irvine, whether her Department plans to issue a response separate to the DVLA.
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s response reflects the view of the Department and there are no plans for any further responses.
Answered 6 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordWhiskyDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35108More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the value of single malt English whisky to the economy.
Answer: No formal assessment has been made by the department, but the English Whisky Guild forecast the volume of spirit produced by English distilleries to grow by 189% from 2019-2024. They forecast that there would be 50,000 maturing casks by 2024 with a value ...
Answered 10 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordWhiskyDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35107More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the value of single malt Welsh whisky to the economy.
Answer: No formal assessment has been made by the department, but upon registration of Single Malt Welsh Whisky as a geographical indication in 2023, it was forecast to generate a revenue of £23 million in the 2023-24 financial year and is exported to more than 4...
Answered 10 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordWhiskyDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35106More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the value of single malt Scotch whisky to the economy.
Answer: No formal assessment has been made by the department, but a report by the Scotch Whisky Association, using figures from industry and the Government from production to employment, concluded that Scotch Whisky’s contribution to the UK economy reached £7.1 b...
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: TimberMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34148More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the guaranteed strike price for sustainable aviation fuel on the cost of (a) timber and (b) recyclable wa
Answer: Measures introduced by the Department for Transport to support the uptake of sustainable aviation fuel do not support the use of feedstocks which are timber or could be better deployed in the production of recyclable waste wood products for house building...
Answered 16 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: TimberMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34147More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has had discussions with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on steps to maintain the security of domestic wood supply for future house
Answer: The UK imports c.80% of our timber. Imports will continue to play an important role in future timber supply, but the government wants to reduce them and there is an opportunity for domestic forestry and wood processing sectors to grow and thrive as a resu...
Answered 16 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy: MetersScotland OfficeTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 902937More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on contingency plans for the Radio Teleswitch Service switch off in Scotland.
Answer: The Radio Teleswitching Service (RTS) will continue until the end of June this year.My colleagues in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero are in close contact with the regulator and suppliers to make the transition as smooth as possible.Smart m...
Answered 5 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33771More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an estimate of the quantity of (a) commercial forest timber and (b) waste wood products that will be needed to achieve the government’s target of 1.5mil
Answer: We do not yet have an estimate of the required timber and waste wood required to meet the Government's housing targets. The current forecast of softwood availability for Great Britain is a total average of 25.2 million cubic metres of softwood timber per ...
Answered 6 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordVoice over Internet ProtocolDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32622More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the transition to digital telecommunications infrastructure on (a) older and (b) vulnerable people in (i) Scotland and
Answer: The Government is determined to ensure that any and all risks of the industry-led migration from the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are mitigated, for all customers across the UK.The Department has acknowle...
Answered 27 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordAlexander IrvineDepartment for TransportTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32303More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to respond to the recommendations of the Fatal Accident Inquiry into the death of Alexander Irvine, published on 18 October 2024.
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has responded to the Determination following the Fatal Accident Inquiry into the death of Alexander Irvine. This response can be viewed in full at www.scotcourts.gov.uk/fatal-accident-inquiries/fatal-accident-inquir...
Answered 26 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordWest Bank: CeasefiresForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32265More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2025 to Question 25538 on West Bank: Ceasefires, if he will have discussions with his Israeli counterpart on ensuring the de-escalation o
Answer: The Foreign Secretary raised the need for de-escalation of violence in the West Bank when he spoke with Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 22 January. Stability in the West Bank is crucial to ensure the fragile ceasefire in Gaza can last. All sides should ...
Answered 10 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordSuicide: InternetDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 29 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27475More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate he has made of the number of people dying of suicide after engaging with suicide-related content online; and what steps he is taking to reduce those deaths.
Answer: DSIT is made aware when there has been an online-related death by suicide through Coroner’s ‘Reports to Prevent Future Deaths’ and has responded to nine reports in the past 12 months. The department is very concerned about the number of reports of deaths....
Answered 7 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordInheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 27 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 26755More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she had made of the potential impact of the proposed changes to business property relief on (a) family businesses and (b) the UK economy.
Answer: At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government took a number of difficult but necessary decisions on tax, welfare, and spending to restore economic stability, fix the public finances, and support public services. These were tough decisions given the situation we i...
Answered 4 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordJordan Valley: SovereigntyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 23 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 26251More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the vote in the Israeli Knesset on annexation of the Jordan Valley on 22 January 2025.
Answer: The Government's view is that Israel's presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is governed by the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, to which Israel is a state party. The Government is also clear that Israeli settlements are ille...
Answered 30 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordOccupied Territories: PalestiniansForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 21 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25541More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of trends in the level of violence against Palestinian communities in the Occupied West Bank carr
Answer: As the Prime Minister said in the House on 22 January, we are deeply concerned by what is happening in the West Bank. We have raised this a number of times in the various exchanges that we have had with Israel at both ministerial and official level. It is...
Answered 28 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordOccupied Territories: PalestiniansForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 21 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25540More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the policies of the (a) Israeli and (b) US governments on the expansion of settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Te
Answer: As the Prime Minister said in the House on 22 January, we are deeply concerned by what is happening in the West Bank. We have raised this a number of times in the various exchanges that we have had with Israel at both ministerial and official level. It is...
Answered 28 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordEast Jerusalem and West Bank PalestiniansForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 21 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25539More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will hold discussions with his international counterparts on taking steps to protect Palestinians in (a) the occupied West Bank and (b) East Jerusalem.
Answer: Stability in the West Bank and East Jerusalem is crucial to ensure that the fragile ceasefire in Gaza can last. The UK will continue to work with Israel, the Palestinian Authority, the US and regional partners to build consensus for a post-conflict Gaza g...
Answered 28 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordWest Bank: CeasefiresForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 21 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25538More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help negotiate a ceasefire in the West Bank.
Answer: The risk of rising instability in the West Bank is serious, and the need for de-escalation urgent. The UK has been clear that it is in no-one's interest for further conflict and instability to spread in the West Bank. We continue to call on Israeli author...
Answered 28 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordBus Services: DisabilityDepartment for TransportTabled 13 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23665More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the provision of audio-visual announcements by bus operators under the Bus Services Act 2017.
Answer: We recognise the importance of audible and visible route and destination information in helping disabled people and other passengers to use bus services with confidence. On 1st October 2024 the first phase of the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Inform...
Answered 16 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordFireworks: Wildlife Parks and ZoosDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 13 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20102More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to protect (a) wildlife parks and (b) zoos from the impact of firework usage.
Answer: The Government regularly engages with its counterparts in Scotland on fireworks. These discussions include antisocial use and the impact of noise. The current regulatory framework is designed to support people to enjoy fireworks whilst lowering the risk o...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordFireworksDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 13 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20101More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions his Department has had with the Scottish Government on revisions to firework safety legislation to include provisions on (a) community safety and (b) noise-level controls.
Answer: The Government regularly engages with its counterparts in Scotland on fireworks. These discussions include antisocial use and the impact of noise. The current regulatory framework is designed to support people to enjoy fireworks whilst lowering the risk o...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordChemicals: ExportsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 11 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19564More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to align the UK’s regulations with the EU’s recent prohibition on exporting banned chemicals to countries where they remain permitted.
Answer: The Government is committed to protecting human health and the environment. Requirements for the export of hazardous chemicals are agreed at the international level under the Rotterdam Convention. In GB, the export of certain hazardous chemicals is regula...
Answered 18 Dec 2024
Original Parliament record
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