James MacCleary MP: written questions
599 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Reading: Parents and CarersDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60800More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of parents and carers reading to children in the early years on the mental wellbeing of (a) children and (b) parents and carers.
Answer: Reading with young children supports not only early literacy but also emotional wellbeing, for both children and their parents or carers. Shared reading helps build secure attachments, supports emotional regulation and creates positive routines that help ...
Answered 25 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPre-school EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60799More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of community activities at supporting families with children in the early years.
Answer: The government recognises the important role of community-based activities in supporting families during the early years. Through Family Hubs, we are working with local authorities and voluntary sector partners to deliver place-based, peer-led support for...
Answered 25 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordChildren: LiteracyDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60798More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish plans to strengthen the home learning environment to support literacy (a) in the early years and (b) for school age children.
Answer: This government is committed to strengthening the home learning environment to support literacy and school readiness as part of the Plan for Change. In 2025/26, we are investing £10.7 million through Family Hubs in home learning environment services to he...
Answered 8 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordChildren: ReadingDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60797More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of promoting a culture of reading for pleasure in the home on the development of children (a) in early years and (b) of school age.
Answer: This government is committed to strengthening the home learning environment to support literacy and school readiness as part of the Plan for Change. In 2025/26, we are investing £10.7 million through Family Hubs in home learning environment services to he...
Answered 8 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordPre-school EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60796More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of learning through play in early years education.
Answer: The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements that all early years providers must follow to ensure every child has the best start in life and is prepared for school. The framework is clear that children le...
Answered 25 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordFamily HubsDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60795More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she plans to establish family hubs across the country.
Answer: On 11 June, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed that, the governme...
Answered 25 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordResident Doctors: EmploymentDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60783More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to prioritise UK medical school graduates for foundation year one posts.
Answer: The Government is committed to developing homegrown talent and to giving opportunities to more people across the country to join our National Health Service.At the same time, we will always welcome internationally educated staff, who remain an important p...
Answered 26 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordResident Doctors: EmploymentDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60782More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that all deaneries adhere to a reasonable timeline for allocating F1 positions.
Answer: We are aware that there is a delay in the allocation of some foundation year one doctors’ programme details and work schedules. We have asked NHS England to urgently tackle this issue. We know there is more to do and NHS England is working to ensure that ...
Answered 26 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordMedicine: TrainingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60781More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to increase funding for the UK Foundation Programme office.
Answer: The UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) manages the national application process for the UK Foundation Programme. The UKFPO is funded by, and is accountable to, the four United Kingdom statutory education bodies, including NHS England for England. We a...
Answered 26 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordResident Doctors: EmploymentDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60780More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that F1 doctors receive their (a) programme details and (b) work schedules well in advance of their start dates.
Answer: We are aware that there is a delay in the allocation of some foundation year one doctors’ programme details and work schedules. We have asked NHS England to urgently tackle this issue. We know there is more to do and NHS England is working to ensure that ...
Answered 26 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordMental Health Services: SchoolsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 11 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 59181More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to place dedicated mental health practitioners in schools; and whether he plans to fund a nationwide rollout of such provision.
Answer: The 2025 Spending Review confirmed that we will fulfil our commitment to provide access to mental health support within schools in England by expanding mental health support teams to cover 100% of pupils by 2029/30. This expansion will ensure that up to 9...
Answered 16 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordImport Controls: UK Trade with EUDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 9 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 58471More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he expects the sanitary and phytosanitary agreement referred to in the joint UK-EU statement of 19 May 2025 to come into effect.
Answer: As announced at the UK-EU Leaders' Summit on May 19, 2025, the UK and EU have agreed to work towards a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Area. Our aim is to start talks straight away and we want to remove barriers as soon as possible.
Answered 12 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordChurch of England: LandChurch CommissionersTabled 5 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57901More
Question: To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church Commissioners have a target for the proportion of the Church's land it plans to protect for nature by (a) 2030 and (b) other future dates.
Answer: The Church Commissioners do not have a target to allocate a fixed percentage of land exclusively for nature protection. Much of the land managed by the Church Commissioners is leased to tenants for farming and food production, with over 90% classed as hig...
Answered 11 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordChurch of England: LandChurch CommissionersTabled 5 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57900More
Question: To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, if the Commissioners will publish a map of the land the Church owns in Lewes constituency; how much land the Church owns in that constituency broken down by land use; and what pr
Answer: The Church Commissioners do not own land in the constituency of Lewes, and the closest assets are situated in West Sussex and Kent.The Church Commissioners register all farmland holdings with the Land Registry, providing public access to ownership details...
Answered 11 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordCustomsTreasuryTabled 2 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 56643More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) import and (b) export checks have taken place by (i) port of entry and (ii) commodity type since 1 January 2021.
Answer: HMRC and Border Force take a risk-based and intelligence-led approach to customs enforcement and have a strong track record in tackling all kinds of non-compliance.HMRC takes a fair and proportionate approach to compliance, which considers trader behaviou...
Answered 5 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordCustomsTreasuryTabled 2 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 56642More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate her Department has made of the average cost of an (a) import check and (b) export check since the UK's departure from the EU.
Answer: HMRC recently published a research report which explored the impact of border checks with around 35 traders and intermediaries. Businesses reported that moving goods across the border was generally a smooth process, and whilst this research did not ascert...
Answered 5 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordCustomsTreasuryTabled 2 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 56641More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) import and (b) export checks have been conducted at the UK Border since 31 January 2020; and how many were undertaken in each of the five years prior to this.
Answer: HMRC and Border Force take a risk-based and intelligence-led approach to customs enforcement and have a strong track record in tackling all kinds of non-compliance.HMRC takes a fair and proportionate approach to compliance, which considers trader behaviou...
Answered 5 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: ConcessionsDepartment for TransportTabled 22 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54517More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of changing the terms for Network Railcards to enable them to be used by commuters who need to travel before 10am.
Answer: The Network Railcard is designed to stimulate leisure travel and timed to encourage travel outside of the busy morning peak. There are no current plans to review railcards in advance of the transition to Great British Railways but it will have the opportu...
Answered 4 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordImmigration Controls: AirportsHome OfficeTabled 22 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54516More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which countries she is negotiating with on the use of eGates; and what the status of those negotiations are.
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave him on 16 June to Question 54204.
Answered 3 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordImmigration Controls: AirportsHome OfficeTabled 21 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54204More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the timeline is for UK travellers to start having expanded access to EU eGates.
Answer: We have secured confirmation that there will be no legal barriers to eGates use for UK nationals travelling to and from EU Member States after the introduction of the EU's Entry/Exit System.But the Prime Minister has been clear that there should be no rea...
Answered 6 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordBreakfast ClubsDepartment for EducationTabled 12 May 2025AnsweredUIN 51692More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department plans to take to ensure that schools participating in the breakfast club programme can provide adequately nutritious free school meals within the allocated budget.
Answer: The department is funding 750 early adopter schools to provide access to a free, universal breakfast club lasting at least 30 minutes. Early adopter schools receive a combination of set up, fixed term and per pupil payments to cover food costs, staffing a...
Answered 20 May 2025
Original Parliament recordNational School Breakfast ProgrammeDepartment for EducationTabled 9 May 2025AnsweredUIN 51236More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that breakfasts provided through the National School Breakfast Programme are nutritious.
Answer: The National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP), introduced by the last government, funds only school food standards-compliant breakfast food and delivery costs. Schools receive a 75% subsidy from the government and must themselves cover the costs of the r...
Answered 19 May 2025
Original Parliament recordNational School Breakfast ProgrammeDepartment for EducationTabled 9 May 2025AnsweredUIN 51235More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to review the per-meal funding for schools participating in the National School Breakfast Programme.
Answer: The National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP), introduced by the last government, funds only school food standards-compliant breakfast food and delivery costs. Schools receive a 75% subsidy from the government and must themselves cover the costs of the r...
Answered 19 May 2025
Original Parliament recordNational School Breakfast ProgrammeDepartment for EducationTabled 9 May 2025AnsweredUIN 51234More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of the funding received by schools participating in the National School Breakfast Programme to provide a nutritionally balanced breakfast to each child.
Answer: The National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP), introduced by the last government, funds only school food standards-compliant breakfast food and delivery costs. Schools receive a 75% subsidy from the government and must themselves cover the costs of the r...
Answered 19 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAbsenteeism: FinesDepartment for EducationTabled 7 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50754More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the system of fining parents for taking their children out of school; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of this system on famili
Answer: Tackling absence is at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. We are facing an absence epidemic, with one in five children persistently absent. These figures are higher for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.The ...
Answered 30 May 2025
Original Parliament record
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