Ian Byrne MP: written questions
137 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Ophthalmic ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50582More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of NHS Ophthalmology departments that do not have enough consultants to provide a full service for patients needing treatment for (a) glaucoma and (b) wet ma
Answer: The Department does not hold information on shortages of ophthalmology consultants. Appropriate levels of staffing will be decided by local system workforce planning.NHS England publishes quarterly National Health Service hospital trust vacancy and job ad...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordOphthalmic ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50581More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of NHS Ophthalmology departments that do not have enough consultants to provide a full service.
Answer: The Department does not hold information on shortages of ophthalmology consultants. Appropriate levels of staffing will be decided by local system workforce planning.NHS England publishes quarterly National Health Service hospital trust vacancy and job ad...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordOphthalmic ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50580More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of NHS hospital trusts unable to deliver comprehensive eyecare services to (a) adults and (b) children.
Answer: Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning secondary eye care services to meet local population need. Appropriate levels of staffing are decided by local system workforce planning.We recognise the challenges facing secondary eye care service...
Answered 16 May 2025
Original Parliament recordCataracts: SurgeryDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50579More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of patients to have undergone NHS cataract surgery in private clinics in each of the last six years.
Answer: The following table shows the number of patients who have undergone National Health Service cataract surgery in private clinics in each of the last six years:YearIndependent provider totalDifferenceAdmissionsPatientsAdmissionsPatients2017/1875,09657,676--...
Answered 16 May 2025
Original Parliament recordCataracts: SurgeryDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50578More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the the amount of money that has been paid to private clinics for delivering NHS cataract surgery in each of the last six years; and how much of the amount identified r
Answer: Independent providers play an important role supporting the National Health Service to deliver eyecare services, ensuring patients receive the treatment and care they need.The data is not held in the format requested.
Answered 10 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPoultry: Animal HousingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50228More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will launch a consultation on the (a) production, (b) import and (c) sales of eggs from caged hens.
Answer: We remain firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare and want to work closely with the farming sector to deliver high standards. The use of cages for laying hens is an issue which we are currently considering very carefully.
Answered 16 May 2025
Original Parliament recordFood: LabellingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50227More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 29 April to Question 20692 on food labelling, what his timescale is for a decision on (a) next steps and (b) responding to the consultation.
Answer: A public consultation on fairer food labelling was undertaken last year by the previous Government. We are now carefully considering all responses to the consultation before deciding on next steps. We recognise that this is an important matter and will re...
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament recordFoie Gras: ImportsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 25 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48191More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timeline is to ban the import of foie gras.
Answer: The Government shares the British public's high regard for animal welfare and has made clear that the production of foie gras from ducks or geese using force feeding raises serious welfare concerns. We have been clear that we will use our Trade Strategy t...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordMaternity Allowance and Maternity PayDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 25 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48190More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of (a) Statutory Maternity Pay and (b) Maternity Allowance.
Answer: Government spends approximately £3 billion a year on parental payments.The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is required by law to undertake an annual review of benefits and State Pensions, including Statutory Maternity Pay and Maternity Allowance....
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordOlder PeopleDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 25 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48189More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure the perspectives of older people are included in her Department's policy decision-making.
Answer: We know that work helps everyone, including older people, play active and fulfilling roles in society while building financial security for retirement. That is why we are reformingemployment support to ensure it helps everyone who needs it. This includes ...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordIsrael: PalestiniansForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47847More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Israel on preventing the forced displacement of Palestinians in Masafer Yatta in the West Bank.
Answer: This government has been clear that stability in the West Bank is crucial. All sides should work to ensure a lowering of tension in the West Bank at this time. The risk of instability is serious and the need for de-escalation urgent. We continue to call o...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordTechnology: MonopoliesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47846More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle monopolistic practices in the technology sector.
Answer: On 1 January 2025 the Government implemented the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. The Competition and Markets Authority now has new bespoke tools to address the market power of a small number of the largest technology firms and increas...
Answered 2 May 2025
Original Parliament recordDelivery Services: Crimes of ViolenceHome OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47845More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will consider including retail home delivery drivers within the definition of assaults on retail workers.
Answer: Shop theft continues to increase at an unacceptable level, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers. We will not stand for this. Everybody has a right to feel safe at their place of work.Through our Crime and Policing Bill...
Answered 2 May 2025
Original Parliament recordHealthy Start Scheme: ExpenditureDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46882More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department spent on the Healthy Start Scheme in the (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25 financial year.
Answer: The Department spent £86,382,173 on the Healthy Start scheme in 2023/24. Audited data on the Department’s spend on the Healthy Start scheme for the 2024/25 financial year is not yet available.
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordWork Capability Assessment: Terminal IllnessesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46881More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether people with a terminal illness who do not have a claim under the Special Rules for Terminal Illness will be exempt from work-related activity requirements following the abolition of the Work Cap
Answer: We are currently consulting on how we should determine which individuals or groups of individuals should be exempt from the requirement to participate in conversations or any work-related requirements following the abolition of the Work Capability Assessm...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordWork Capability Assessment: Terminal IllnessesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46880More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether people with a claim under the Special Rules for Terminal Illness will be exempt from work-related activity requirements following the abolition of the Work Capability Assessment.
Answer: We are currently consulting on how we should determine which individuals or groups of individuals should be exempt from the requirement to participate in conversations or any work-related requirements following the abolition of the Work Capability Assessm...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: Terminal IllnessesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46879More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in receipt of Universal Credit have a terminal condition but do not have a claim under the Special Rules for Terminal Illness.
Answer: The information is not available. The Universal Credit system is usually only informed of a terminal illness diagnosis through an application for the Special Rules for End of Life.
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: Terminal IllnessesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46878More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published in March 2025, whether people with a terminal illne
Answer: The Department supports people nearing the end of life through the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL). These rules enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to certain benefits, without needing to attend a medical...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: Terminal IllnessesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46877More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published in March 2025, whether people with a claim under th
Answer: The Department supports people nearing the end of life through the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL). These enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to certain benefits, without needing to attend a medical asses...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: Chronic IllnessesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46876More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published on 18 March 2025, what the value will be of the additional premium in Universal Credi
Answer: As set out in the Green Paper, we will ensure that those with the most severe, life-long health conditions, who will never be able to work will see their incomes protected. We will also ensure this group face no future reassessment. We will set this out i...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPathways to Work: Public ConsultationDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45931More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to widen the scope of the consultation for the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published on 18 March 2025.
Answer: The Pathways to Work Green Paper set out our plans and proposals for reform to health and disability benefits and employment support. This includes some urgently needed reforms to PIP eligibility and UC rates that are not subject to consultation but on wh...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordFood SupplyDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45136More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights' publication Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain an
Answer: The Government has committed to develop an ambitious food strategy will set and deliver clear long-term outcomes that create a healthier, fairer, and more resilient food system. The strategy will work to improve the food system to provide more easily acce...
Answered 25 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordProstate Cancer: ScreeningDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45135More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help improve access to early prostate cancer (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment in deprived communities.
Answer: The Government understands that more needs to be done to improve outcomes for all people with prostate cancer. To achieve this, we have delivered an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week during our first year in Government, as the fir...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordRespiratory Diseases: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44607More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of treatment for lung conditions in the NHS: and what steps his Department is taking to include this treatment in the NHS 10-year plan.
Answer: In collaboration with a number of partners, the National Health Service has developed a package for systems containing the information and support required to help increase the number of people receiving early and accurate diagnosis for respiratory diseas...
Answered 23 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordTax Allowances: Low IncomesTreasuryTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44606More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of freezing the personal tax allowance on low income households.
Answer: The Government is committed to keeping taxes for working people as low as possible while ensuring fiscal responsibility. At our first Budget, we decided not to extend the freeze on personal tax thresholds which was implemented by the previous Government. ...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament record
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