Jim Shannon MP: written questions
1131 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Government Departments: Freedom of InformationCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13797More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of freedom of information processes across government departments.
Answer: Government Departments are individual public authorities in their own right under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. It is the responsibility of each department to ensure that their processes enable them to comply with the legislation.
Answered 7 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordAffordable Housing: Waiting ListsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12681More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for social housing, including changes to the stock of social and affordable housing; and what discussions he has had with his coun
Answer: Local authorities are responsible for designing and managing their own housing allocations policies to meet local need, including managing their own housing registers (waiting lists). The government has launched a review into how effectively social housin...
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordRetail Trade: Crimes of ViolenceHome OfficeTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12680More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to help protect high street retail workers from violence or threats from customers, including smaller
Answer: According to the British Retail Consortium Crime Report 2026, there were around 590,000 incidents of violence and abuse in 2024-25, down 20% from 737,000 in 2023-24. The levels of violence and abuse towards retail workers are unacceptable. We are ensuring...
Answered 6 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordHousing: SewersMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12679More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help support timely investment in wastewater infrastructure for new housing developments; and what discussions he has had with
Answer: The government recognises the importance of wastewater provision on new developments. Water companies are under a statutory duty to provide new sewage connections to residential properties, as well as planning to meet the needs of growth as part of Draina...
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordHong Kong: Religious FreedomForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12678More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to raise concerns about freedom of religion and belief in Hong Kong.
Answer: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office monitors Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in Hong Kong closely and updates any significant developments in that area in the reports that we publish each six months to Parliament on the implementation of...
Answered 30 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordSexual Harassment and Sexual Offences: International CooperationForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12677More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help support the reporting of sexual harassment and offending against women and girls internationally, including to help strengthen victims' confi
Answer: The UK is leading international efforts to tackle all forms of violence and abuse faced by women and girls, including sexual harassment, and to ensure all countries adopt best practice in terms of encouraging the reporting of these crimes, and supporting ...
Answered 1 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordUSA: Northern IrelandDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12676More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make it his policy to seek closer trade relations between the Northern Ireland agri-food market and the US.
Answer: It already is our policy. Through negotiations on the Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD), the UK enjoys preferential trading terms with the US, supporting thousands of jobs and protecting key industries across the UK, including in Northern Ireland. As of 1 Ja...
Answered 2 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordGovernment: AccountabilityCabinet OfficeTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12675More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to increase transparency in Government decision-making.
Answer: The Government publishes details of ministers’ meetings with external individuals and organisations on a quarterly basis. Following the Prime Minister’s correspondence dated 11 March 2026, the Ethics and Integrity Commission is undertaking a review into l...
Answered 7 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordElectronic Government: StandardsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12674More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Government online services in reducing administrative burdens on citizens.
Answer: The roadmap for modern digital government sets out this Government’s commitment to ensuring that online services make citizens’ lives easier and reduce administrative burdens. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s Public Engagement Surve...
Answered 3 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordElectronic Government: DisabilityDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12673More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to ensure the accessibility of Government digital services for disabled people.
Answer: Government services must work for everyone, and public bodies have a legal duty to consider the needs of disabled people, including meeting the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018.To meet government’s acc...
Answered 6 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordCybersecurity: Government DepartmentsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12672More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent steps she has taken to support the level of cybersecurity across Government departments.
Answer: Earlier this year, DSIT published the Government Cyber Action Plan (GCAP). It represents a radical shift in the government’s approach, by holding organisations to account for managing cyber and digital resilience risks, setting much stronger central direc...
Answered 6 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordElectronic Government: StandardsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12671More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the performance of GOV.UK One Login and other Government digital identity services.
Answer: GOV.UK One Login is the government’s single sign-on and identity verification solution for accessing government services online. As of June 2026, over 22 million users have proven their identity, enabling access to over 240 government services. Over time,...
Answered 3 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: Mental Health ServicesCabinet OfficeTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12670More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to support the level of mental health assistance for civil servants.
Answer: The Cabinet Office is fully committed to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of civil servants.All departments provide comprehensive Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) and Occupational Health services, ensuring staff have direct access to counsel...
Answered 1 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: EqualityCabinet OfficeTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12669More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the level of gender and ethnic diversity of senior civil service roles.
Answer: Assessments of the representation of women and ethnic minorities in Senior Civil Service roles are made on a regular basis, and at least annually.The representation of women in the Senior Civil Service has increased year on year since it was created in 19...
Answered 1 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: Temporary EmploymentCabinet OfficeTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12668More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Civil Service employees are on temporary contracts for which the latest data is available.
Answer: The total number of civil servants on a temporary contract, including those on casual contracts, is published quarterly by Office for National Statistics (ONS) as part of their quarterly public sector employment statistics and is available at Table 8 of e...
Answered 1 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordCivil Service: Labour Turnover and RecruitmentCabinet OfficeTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12667More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the level of recruitment and retention challenges in the civil service.
Answer: On 20 January, the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister outlined his commitments to rewire Whitehall and modernize public services, with a specific focus on enhancing public sector productivity through rapid operational delivery and resolution.A core ele...
Answered 1 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordPublic Sector: AccessCabinet OfficeTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12666More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent steps he has taken with Cabinet colleagues to improve citizen access to public services.
Answer: The Government is committed to the effective delivery of public services, including ensuring that services are easy for citizens to access. The Prime Minister has established a Public Services Committee, chaired by the Chief Secretary to the Prime Ministe...
Answered 14 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordGovernment Departments: ProcurementCabinet OfficeTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12665More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the implementation of the Government Functional Standard for procurement.
Answer: The effectiveness and implementation of the Government Functional Standard for Commercial (GovS 008) is assessed through the Commercial Continuous Improvement Assessment Framework (CCIAF). The CCIAF provides a structured framework that allows government d...
Answered 1 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartmental ResponsibilitiesCabinet OfficeTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12664More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to reduce duplication of functions across departments.
Answer: The Government is committed to creating a productive and agile state, which includes reducing unnecessary bureaucracy and duplication across departments and public bodies. The Cabinet Office continues to strengthen cross-government controls to ensure depa...
Answered 30 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordPersonal Care Services: Self-employedTreasuryTabled 23 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12130More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of disguised self-employment and associated tax losses within the hair and beauty industry.
Answer: This Government is committed to ensuring that the tax system operates fairly and efficiently and creates a level playing field for compliant businesses. Most businesses pay what they owe but a minority fail to register with HMRC or only declare a portion ...
Answered 1 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordPersonal Care ServicesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 23 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12129More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to support apprenticeships and youth employment within the hair and beauty sector.
Answer: Apprenticeships and employment support are both fully transferred to the Northern Ireland Executive, with funding devolved in the usual way. This response therefore provides information on apprenticeships in England only, and on Youth Guarantee measures a...
Answered 1 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordPersonal Care Services: VATTreasuryTabled 23 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12128More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of VAT policy on employment-based business models in the hair and beauty sector.
Answer: This Government is committed to ensuring that the tax system operates fairly and efficiently and creates a level playing field for compliant businesses. Most businesses pay what they owe but a minority fail to register with HMRC or only declare a portion ...
Answered 1 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartmental CoordinationCabinet OfficeTabled 23 Jun 2026Awaiting answerUIN 12127More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of of cross-departmental public service delivery in the last financial year.
Answer: No published answer in this record yet.
Original Parliament recordDevelopment Aid: AgricultureForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 23 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12126More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what funding her Department is providing to support international farmers to transition to agroforestry and other climate-resilient agricultural practices.
Answer: The UK Government aims to increase economic opportunity and boost resilience in underserved and underdeveloped regions. This includes supporting companies operating in secondary cities, rural supply chains, connective market infrastructure and trade oppor...
Answered 1 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordFisheries: International CooperationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 23 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12125More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking with intentional partners to (a) support sustainable fisheries and (b) protect marine biodiversity.
Answer: On sustainable fisheries, Defra is actively engaged throughout the UN system working with a range of countries to promote sustainable management and improved international governance of fisheries. We are also a member of five Regional Fisheries Management...
Answered 29 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
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