Ian Sollom MP: written questions 2025
142 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Higher EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 70279More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to pages 12 and 19 of the report published by the Office for Students entitled Financial sustainability of higher education providers in England: 2025, published on 8 May 2025, what steps her Dep
Answer: Market competitiveness is a longstanding feature of our independent and autonomous higher education (HE) sector.The regional and local provision of HE, and access to HE for students from underrepresented backgrounds, are both important components of our s...
Answered 12 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordManufacturing Industries: Trade PromotionDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 22 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 70061More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to increase confidence in the UK as a reliable manufacturing base for global trade.
Answer: Manufacturing is crucial for the UK's economy, driving innovation, creating jobs, and boosting national security and resilience. This government recognises that we need to maximise growth in manufacturing to maintain a global competitive edge and uphold o...
Answered 1 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversities: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 15 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 68126More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what role her Department has in facilitating agreements between financially distressed universities and their commercial lenders.
Answer: The Office for Students (OfS) has not facilitated debt restructuring packages of any university since 2018.Universities are independent from government and as such are responsible for managing their finances. This includes negotiations with commercial len...
Answered 22 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversities: DebtsDepartment for EducationTabled 15 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 68125More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many universities have had debt restructuring packages facilitated by the Office for Students involving (a) the Department for Education, (b) external consultants and (c) commercial lenders since 2018.
Answer: The Office for Students (OfS) has not facilitated debt restructuring packages of any university since 2018.Universities are independent from government and as such are responsible for managing their finances. This includes negotiations with commercial len...
Answered 22 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: ContractsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 14 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67600More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Integrated Care Boards on the potential impact of the outsourcing of soft facilities management staff at hospitals on (a) staff pensions, (b) sick pay and (c) annua
Answer: Contract award decisions in the National Health Service which may involve the transfer of staff delivering “soft” facilities management services to other suppliers fall directly to individual NHS bodies, who are responsible for running their own procureme...
Answered 8 Aug 2025
Original Parliament recordChildcare and Pre-school EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 10 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66750More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of the report by the Education Committee on Support for childcare and the early years, published on 26 July 2023.
Answer: The department recognises the valuable work of the Education Committee through its report on support for childcare and early years. We have considered the report’s findings and recommendations carefully and have since expanded access to childcare. We ar...
Answered 24 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Media: ElectionsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 10 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66749More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the increase in the level of (a) misinformation and (b) disinformation from (i) non-state actors on social media platforms (ii) all sources du
Answer: DSIT takes the threat of mis- and disinformation from all actors extremely seriously. The 2024 General Election and 2025 Local Elections ran smoothly and securely, with no serious information incidents affecting their integrity. DSIT, as part of the Defen...
Answered 18 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordAJM HealthcareDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60608More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department made of the adequacy of services provided to the NHS by AJM healthcare.
Answer: Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision and commissioning of local wheelchair services. It is therefore the responsibility of ICBs to review and assess the quality of the provision of their commissioned National Health Service whee...
Answered 23 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversities: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60591More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many universities are classified by the Office for Students as being at material risk of financial failure.
Answer: The government has not provided emergency funding to any university since 4 July 2024.Universities are independent from government and as such must continue to make the necessary financial decisions to ensure their long-term sustainability. If a universit...
Answered 25 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversities: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60590More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria the Office for Students uses to determine emergency financial support for universities; and if she will publish those criteria.
Answer: The government has not provided emergency funding to any university since 4 July 2024.Universities are independent from government and as such must continue to make the necessary financial decisions to ensure their long-term sustainability. If a universit...
Answered 25 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversities: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60589More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many universities in England have received emergency financial support from (a) her Department and (b) the Office for Students since July 2024; and what the value of that support was.
Answer: The government has not provided emergency funding to any university since 4 July 2024.Universities are independent from government and as such must continue to make the necessary financial decisions to ensure their long-term sustainability. If a universit...
Answered 25 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordBraille: GCE A-level and GCSEDepartment for EducationTabled 12 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 59498More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) errors in (i) GCSE and (ii) A-level braille exam papers from examination boards and (b) the lack of past papers available to pupils studying for tho
Answer: This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have asked its Chief Regulator, Sir Ian Bauckham, to write to the hon. Member for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in t...
Answered 20 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordTraining and Vocational Education: CambridgeshireDepartment for EducationTabled 12 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 59419More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve access to (a) high-quality technical education and (b) work-placed training in Cambridgeshire.
Answer: As announced in the Spending Review, the department is making over £1 billion of additional investment per year in skills by 2028/29.This will support and grow the wide range of technical routes and work-based training available for people of all ages, ac...
Answered 25 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordFurther EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 12 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 59417More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support Skills England will provide to improve further education provision in (a) Mid Cambridgeshire and (b) other places where this is limited.
Answer: Skills England will support the delivery of government policy, driving forward the Plan for Change and industrial strategy by identifying skills gaps in the economy and using this insight to improve provision so that people and businesses can access the r...
Answered 26 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordApprenticesDepartment for EducationTabled 12 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 59416More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps Skills England will take to encourage (a) SMEs and (b) other employers to offer more apprenticeships for people under 25.
Answer: Skills England will support young people to develop the skills they need.The rate of young people’s apprenticeship starts has fallen by almost 40% since 2015/16. We want to rebalance the programme back towards young people.This government, supported by Sk...
Answered 25 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordTraining: CambridgeshireDepartment for EducationTabled 12 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 59414More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how Skills England will work with (a) the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mayoral Combined Authority and (b) local employers to increase skills levels in Cambridgeshire.
Answer: Part of Skills England’s role is to ensure that skills sit at the heart of joined-up decision making across government. This includes working closely with Strategic Authorities, to ensure that regional skills needs are met and there is alignment with nati...
Answered 23 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordScience: Migrant WorkersDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 9 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 58355More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the White paper entitled Restoring Control over the Immigration System, published in May 2025, whether she plans to take steps to help support small and medium-sized r
Answer: The Government is committed to attracting top global talent to the UK. The Immigration White Paper reinforces our ambition to increase the number of world-class scientists coming here through high-talent routes like the Global Talent and High Potential In...
Answered 17 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordHigher Education: CooperationDepartment for EducationTabled 9 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 58354More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing funding to incentivise collaboration between universities, colleges and schools; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of
Answer: The department allocated £20 million in 2025/2026 to the Office for Students through the Strategic Priorities Grant for the Uni Connect programme.Uni Connect brings together 29 partnerships of universities, colleges and other local partners to offer activ...
Answered 23 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordInfected Blood Compensation SchemeCabinet OfficeTabled 9 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 58353More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of infected blood victims who (a) are not registered with a compensation scheme, (b) fall outside the cut-off dates but are eligible for compensation an
Answer: Due to the nature of the Infected Blood scandal there is uncertainty over the number of people who might be eligible for compensation. Early estimates made within the Cabinet Office of those who are infected were that there are approximately 8,500 to 16,5...
Answered 16 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Professions: TrainingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 22 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54456More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that healthcare professionals are given training on ensuring that the needs of (a) minority and (b) LGBTQ+ groups are met in healthcare settings; and i
Answer: Employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver safe and effective treatment for all patients, and to deploy them in the best way to ensure the delivery of health services to th...
Answered 10 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordCambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 19 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53296More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will (a) take steps to launch an independent public inquiry to assess the effectiveness of the steps taken by Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in relation to concerns raised
Answer: Andrew Kennedy KC has been appointed as the independent chair of a clinical review taskforce which is undertaking an external, independent, and retrospective clinical review of all surgeries carried out by Kuldeep Stohr while she was employed by the Cambr...
Answered 27 May 2025
Original Parliament recordMathematics: GirlsDepartment for EducationTabled 12 May 2025AnsweredUIN 51582More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's press release entitled More girls to study maths under plans to improve pathway into AI careers, published on 6 May 2025, how much funding will be allocated in (a) 2025 and (b
Answer: The Advanced Maths Support programme funding for April 2025 to March 2026 will be £8,200,000. Funding from April 2026 will be subject to the spending review.There is no direct split between funding for students and teachers.
Answered 29 May 2025
Original Parliament recordMathematicsDepartment for EducationTabled 12 May 2025AnsweredUIN 51581More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what changes her Department has made to the Advanced Maths Support Programme.
Answer: From September 2025, the focus of the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP) will be tilted towards the following areas: supporting schools with low girls’ progression to level 3 mathematics to implement evidence-driven strategies to encourage more...
Answered 20 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAdult Education: FinanceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 25 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48230More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions her Department has had with the Department for Education on the potential impact of changes to the level of funding for the Adult Skills Fund on the number of people entering employment
Answer: Adult Skills Funding (ASF) supports people with access to local skills training and provision, helping remove skills barriers to work, which in turn both secures and helps people progress in work. Work Coaches are able to help people access a broad range ...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAdult Education: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 25 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48229More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department plans to take to (a) monitor and (b) evaluate the potential impact of changes to the level of funding for the Adult Skills Fund in (i) devolved and (ii) non-devolved areas in the 2025-
Answer: The department will provide approximately £1.4 billion in funding for the adult skills fund (ASF) in the 2025/26 academic year to ensure that adult learners can access the education and training they need to get into employment or progress in work.As of A...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament record
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