Ian Sollom MP: written questions
177 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements: FinanceDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 26 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 124177More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made on the potential impact of changes in funding for the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements on (a) the UK’s weather, climate and air qua
Answer: The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), a part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is reviewing the value for money of its infrastructure investments to ensure maximum impact for the UK and transition its atmospheric science infrastructure to m...
Answered 14 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordFacility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements: ClosuresDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 25 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 123983More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the closure of the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements on the specialist skills base in atmospheric science in the Un
Answer: While the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) recognise that the retirement of the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM) is a significant decision for the atmospheric science commu...
Answered 16 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordFacility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements: FinanceDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 25 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 123979More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what process was followed that led to decision to cut funding for the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM).
Answer: Following a review of value for money across its infrastructure investments, the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), concluded that the Facility for Airbourne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM) aircraft no ...
Answered 16 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordUnmanned Air SystemsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 25 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 123970More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has made an assessment of the timeline for autonomous systems to replicate the payload and operational capabilities of the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measu
Answer: The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), with input from the scientific community, is prioritising a strategic transition to more sustainable, modern and flexible infrastructures. While there are some asp...
Answered 16 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordImmigration: English LanguageHome OfficeTabled 25 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 123865More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Home Office English Language Test will be regulated by Ofqual.
Answer: The Home Office English Language Testing Programme remains in live procurement. We anticipate that the successful bidder will hold, or secure, Ofqual recognition. They must then continue to meet the rigorous bar required to comply with Ofqual's regulatory...
Answered 13 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordEmployment SchemesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121126More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many of the 500,000 opportunities announced on 16 March 2026 comprise (a) apprenticeships, (b) subsidised jobs, (c) work experience placements and (d) sector-based work academy programmes.
Answer: This Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. For many years our young people have not had the opportunity and support they deserve. Under the last government, between 2021 and 2024, the number of young people not in educatio...
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordApprentices: FinanceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121125More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether an impact assessment was carried out before the decision to defund 16 apprenticeship standards.
Answer: Apprenticeship starts for the 2024/25 academic year by standard and age are published here: Apprenticeships, Academic year 2024/25 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK. Over the past 10 years, apprenticeship starts among young people have fallen sharpl...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordApprentices: Young PeopleDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121124More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for each of the 16 apprenticeship standards being defunded, how many starts in 2024-25 were by people aged under 25.
Answer: Apprenticeship starts for the 2024/25 academic year by standard and age are published here: Apprenticeships, Academic year 2024/25 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK. Over the past 10 years, apprenticeship starts among young people have fallen sharpl...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordApprenticesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121123More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many starts there have been on each foundation apprenticeship standard since their launch in August 2025; and what assessment he made of the adequacy of that performance before announcing the expans
Answer: In August 2025 we introduced foundation apprenticeships to give young people a route into careers in critical sectors, such as construction and health and social care, enabling them to earn a wage while developing vital skills.Foundation apprenticeships a...
Answered 23 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordApprentices: FinanceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121122More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when is his estimated date for publishing publish funding rates, duration and assessment arrangements for each of the seven apprenticeship units due to launch in April 2026.
Answer: Following the announcement we will be carrying out further testing with critical stakeholders to confirm details, including funding rates and delivery hours, are set at the right level. We want to ensure the final figures are robust and reflect sector nee...
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordChildren: MaintenanceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116402More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish (a) the total amount owed to parents in child maintenance payment arrears and (b) how much this has increased by over the last 10 years.
Answer: The Department publishes quarterly statistics for the Child Maintenance Service (CMS)and the latest statistics are currently available to September 2025. Table 5 of the latest National tables shows the total amount of child maintenance that Paying Parents...
Answered 4 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordChild Support (Enforcement) Act 2023Department for Work and PensionsTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116373More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress his department has made on the implementation of the Child Support (Enforcement) Act 2023 in England and Wales.
Answer: Work is ongoing to implement Administrative Liability Orders (ALO). While Child Maintenance is reserved, enforcement of CM arrears in Scotland requires using the Scottish judicial system, which is devolved. We are working closely with HM Courts and Tribun...
Answered 4 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordStudents: Hearing ImpairmentDepartment for EducationTabled 25 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116075More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her department has made of access to Communication Support Workers for post-18 year old deaf students.
Answer: As set out under section 20 of the Equality Act 2010, all education and training providers, and other related service providers, have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, including those with a hearing impairment, so they are not pla...
Answered 2 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordStudents: Hearing ImpairmentDepartment for EducationTabled 25 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116073More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of access to post-18 information for deaf pupils.
Answer: We are improving careers advice in schools and colleges through the adoption of updated Gatsby Benchmarks into statutory guidance. The benchmarks put more focus on inclusion, making sure all pupils – including those in specialist settings – get personalis...
Answered 2 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: StaffDepartment for EducationTabled 25 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116072More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the qualification levels in British Sign Language of Communication Support Workers working with deaf (a) school, (b) college and (c) university students.
Answer: The department does not hold information or data on the availability of Communication Support Workers, or their qualification levels in British Sign Language.However, all education and training providers, as well as other related service providers, have d...
Answered 18 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: Hearing ImpairmentDepartment for EducationTabled 25 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116071More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of Communication Support Workers for deaf (a) school, (b) college and (c) university students.
Answer: The department does not hold information or data on the availability of Communication Support Workers, or their qualification levels in British Sign Language.However, all education and training providers, as well as other related service providers, have d...
Answered 18 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordImmigrationHome OfficeTabled 25 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116031More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's proposed timetable is for responding to the A Fairer Pathway to Settlement consultation.
Answer: The consultation for the earned settlement model, as proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, was open to the public between 20 November 2025 and 12 February 2026. Working at pace, the contributions will now be analysed, and the findings will support...
Answered 18 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: CommunicationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 114948More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve clinical communications between primary and secondary care providers.
Answer: The 10 Year Health Plan is clear that the National Health Service needs to modernise and shift toward providing continuous, accessible and integrated care. This relies on clear communication across different services, including primary and secondary care....
Answered 3 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordPensions: ComplaintsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 114283More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that the public have adequate routes of appeal to raise complaints about their pensions.
Answer: Members of the public have access to independent routes of appeal regarding pension maladministration through the Pensions Ombudsman (TPO). TPO operates independently to deliver its statutory responsibilities. The Department works closely with TPO to supp...
Answered 19 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordPensions: ComplaintsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 114281More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the implications of his policies of recommendation 3a of the Public Administration Committee's fifty-seventh Report of Session 2022-23 on reviewing ombudsman arrang
Answer: The Department’s view remains that the Pensions Ombudsman has acted within his statutory remit in considering complaints related to the AEA Technology (AEAT) pension scheme. These matters have been subject to extensive scrutiny over the past decade, inclu...
Answered 19 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordStudents: DisabilityDepartment for EducationTabled 20 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 114244More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the report by the National Association of Disability Practitioners entitled Critical Response to the Equality Impact Assessment a
Answer: The department is aware of the report produced by the National Association of Disability Practitioners in December 2025 concerning the decision to remove Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) funding for nonspecialist spelling and grammar software from March...
Answered 3 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordNHS: DrugsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111946More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that increased medicine prices do not have an adverse impact on NHS activity.
Answer: This deal is a vital investment that builds on the strength of our National Health Service and world leading life sciences sector to increase access to life-changing medicines without taking essential funding from our frontline NHS services. We will alway...
Answered 17 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordUniversities: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 30 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109864More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2026 to Question 101938, for what reasons are meetings between her Department and commercial lenders on the higher education sector are kept confidential.
Answer: As set out in our response on 29 January 2026, the department meets with a variety of stakeholders, including commercial lenders, to hear their views on the higher education sector. Where individual providers experience financial difficulties, the departm...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordUniversities: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 30 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109863More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has indicated to commercial lenders that the Government would take steps to prevent the failure of a financially distressed university since 2020.
Answer: As set out in our response on 29 January 2026, the department meets with a variety of stakeholders, including commercial lenders, to hear their views on the higher education sector. Where individual providers experience financial difficulties, the departm...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordUniversities: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 30 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109862More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2026 to Question 101938, how many meetings her Department has held with commercial lenders where the financial position of a specific named university was discussed since 20
Answer: As set out in our response on 29 January 2026, the department meets with a variety of stakeholders, including commercial lenders, to hear their views on the higher education sector. Where individual providers experience financial difficulties, the departm...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
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