Joe Robertson MP: written questions 2026
371 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Pharmacy: Business RatesTreasuryTabled 26 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108460More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the planned April 2026 business rates increase on community pharmacies.
Answer: At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This has led to increases in rateable values for some properties, as current values are based on pandemic-era valuations. In recognition of the impact of the revaluation o...
Answered 2 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Transport: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment for TransportTabled 26 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108459More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2026 to Question 104846, what assessment has been made of the risk that AI initiatives described as operating on a test-and-learn basis do not deliver the scale of efficienc
Answer: The department has not undertaken a specific risk assessment on whether the AI initiatives operating on a test-and-learn basis will deliver the scale of efficiency savings forecast in the Departmental Efficiency Plan. The department has agreed to achieve ...
Answered 2 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordGreat British Railways: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 26 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108458More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2026 to Question 105753, what assessment the Department has made of which specific budget lines will reduce as a result of the £199 million corporate initiatives efficiencie
Answer: A breakdown of the forecasted £199m in corporate initiative efficiencies published in the Departmental Efficiency Plan described as cash releasing are included below by budget line as published in the departmental Supply Estimate.Budget Line28/29 Cashable...
Answered 11 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordGreat British Railways: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 26 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108457More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answers of 22 January 2026 to Question 105752 and 20 January 2026 to Question 104846, what proportion of the £199 million efficiency saving projected from corporate initiatives in 2028–29 is exp
Answer: None of the £199m in efficiency savings from corporate initiatives have been specifically identified as arising from AI-enabled processes. As part of a test and learn approach, we are assessing the impact and potential benefits of implementing AI and digi...
Answered 10 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordGreat British Railways: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 26 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108456More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2026 to Question 105752, whether the Department has produced a breakdown for corporate initiatives equivalent to that published for executive agency reform, showing (a) gros
Answer: The department has agreed to achieving net savings of £199m in 28/29 from corporate initiatives as part of the Departmental Efficiency Plan. We do not currently hold a breakdown of how the net savings breakdown by gross efficiencies and implementation cos...
Answered 10 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving Tests: SwindonDepartment for TransportTabled 26 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108455More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average waiting time was for a practical car driving test at Swindon Test Centre in the most recent month for which data is available.
Answer: For January 2026, the average waiting time for a car practical driving test at Swindon driving test centre was 18.8 weeks.
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordYouth Services: Isle of WightDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 22 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107888More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how the schools identified to receive support through the National Youth Strategy will be selected; and whether schools on the Isle of Wight will receive support.
Answer: The Government's National Youth Strategy is a 10-year plan designed to ensure that every young person nationwide has somewhere to go, someone who cares for them, and a community they feel a part of. Schools are key to implementing the strategy including t...
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordYouth Services: Isle of WightDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 22 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107887More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Isle of Wight will be eligible for funding under the National Youth Strategy; and what steps are being taken to ensure that the Island is supported thought the national funding criter
Answer: ‘Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy’ is a 10 year plan to ensure every young person across the country has somewhere to go, someone who cares for them and a community they feel part of.This is backed by over £500 million of new youth funding over...
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordYoung Futures Hubs: LocationDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 22 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107886More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what criteria is being used to determine the locations of Young Futures Hubs.
Answer: The first eight early adopter Young Futures Hubs were located where they will have the most impact, using data on knife crime and anti-social behaviour.The Government’s aim is to set up an additional 42 Young Futures Hubs over the next four years. The loc...
Answered 28 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordYouth Services: Rural AreasDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 22 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107885More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to publish the eligibility criteria and application details for the Richer Young Lives Fund; and how she will help ensure that rural and island communities are able to access this
Answer: The Richer Young Lives Fund will invest over £60 million over the next three years, enabling organisations to deliver high-quality youth work and activities.The Fund will be targeted at underserved areas and focus on making activities easier to access for...
Answered 28 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordYouth Services: FinanceDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 22 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107884More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Government unveils ambitious plan to tackle youth isolation crisis and deliver real life opportunities, published on 10 December 2025, wh
Answer: The Government recognises that high-quality youth services are vital for the health, wellbeing, and development of young people. The £500 million investment announced on 10 December 2025 as part of the National Youth Strategy represents a significant comm...
Answered 28 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRetail Trade: Business RatesTreasuryTabled 22 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107883More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2026 to Question 105434 on Retail Trade: Business Rates, how many retail businesses will be impacted by transitional relief measures.
Answer: The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government publishes data on the number of properties receiving business rates relief. This data can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-non-domestic-rates-colle...
Answered 30 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRetail Trade: Business RatesTreasuryTabled 22 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107882More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2026 to Question 105434 on Retail Trade: Business Rates, what proportion of ratepayers expected to see no bill increases in business rates are from the retail sector.
Answer: Data on the change in the rateable value of non-domestic properties as a result of the 2026 revaluation, including for the retail sector, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-non-domestic-rates-collected-by-councils-in-engl...
Answered 29 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRetail Trade: Business RatesTreasuryTabled 22 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107881More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 202 to Question 105434 on Retail Trade: Business Rates, what proportion of the 23% of ratepayers expected to see a reduction in business rates are from the retail sector.
Answer: Data on the change in the rateable value of non-domestic properties as a result of the 2026 revaluation, including for the retail sector, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-non-domestic-rates-collected-by-councils-in-engl...
Answered 6 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordCharitable TrustsMinistry of JusticeTabled 21 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107581More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the reference in the answer of 14 January 2026 to question 103614 to “all other cases” in which common law perpetuity rules apply is intended to include commercial land instruments, including commercial o
Answer: The reference in the Government’s response to Question 103614 “in all other cases, only the common law rules apply” refers to all instruments not captured by the regimes established by the Perpetuities and Accumulations Act 2009, the Perpetuities and Accu...
Answered 30 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving Tests: SwindonDepartment for TransportTabled 21 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107580More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average waiting time was for a practical car driving test at Swindon Test Centre in the most recent month for which data is available.
Answer: For January 2026, the average waiting time for a car practical driving test at Swindon driving test centre was 18.8 weeks.
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordLower Thames Crossing: Public FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 21 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107579More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether publicly funded works on the Lower Thames Crossing will commence after a Full Business Case has been produced and approved.
Answer: Publicly funded construction enabling works have already commenced north and south of the River Thames. These include ground works to create haul roads, construction of site compounds, utility works, ecological and archaeological works and extensive pre-c...
Answered 30 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Transport: Official HospitalityDepartment for TransportTabled 20 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107278More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost was of the DfT Operator Group Parliamentary Reception on 19 January 2026; and what proportion of that cost was met by the public purse by funding source.
Answer: The cost for the Department for Transport Operator Group’s (DFTO) parliamentary reception on 19 January 2026 was £5,470.87, with those costs met by DFTO. The event was held to provide parliamentarians and parliamentary staff with an opportunity to engage ...
Answered 29 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRailways: FaresDepartment for TransportTabled 20 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107277More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the Rail Delivery Group on recent updates to fare search limits for passengers and rail retailers.
Answer: The Department regularly engages with the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) on a range of issues relating to the rail retail market, recognising RDG's important role in managing systems and services upon which train operators, retailers and passengers rely. This ...
Answered 26 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 15 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106292More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much additional funding has been allocated in the current financial year to expand secondary care capacity, including staffing and bed numbers.
Answer: The Spending Review 2025 has prioritised health, with an increase by £29 billion in real terms by 2028/29 compared to 2023/24, including investment in urgent and emergency care and electives services to deliver the 10-Year Health Plan. The plan includes t...
Answered 3 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: StandardsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 15 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106290More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of capacity pressures in secondary care, particularly at hospital front doors, including staffing levels and bed availability.
Answer: We continue to monitor the impact of winter pressures on the National Health Service over the winter months. The NHS has been preparing for winter this year with the development and thorough testing of winter plans. This includes the surge capacity and es...
Answered 22 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordStudents: LoansDepartment for EducationTabled 14 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106035More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has modelled the potential impact of Plan 2 interest rates on graduate retention in key public service professions.
Answer: The department does not provide analysis for impacts of policies on graduate retention in key public service professions.Borrowers, including those in public services professions, remain protected as repayments are determined by income, not the amount bor...
Answered 23 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordStudents: LoansDepartment for EducationTabled 14 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106031More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of additional revenue raised by freezing student loan repayment thresholds.
Answer: At the Autumn Budget 2025, the government announced the repayment threshold for Plan 2 student loans will be frozen at £29,385 for three years from April 2027.This measure is currently forecast to generate additional revenue of £54 million in the 2027/28 ...
Answered 28 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPrimary Health Care: BuildingsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 14 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106018More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the additional costs of maintaining and developing primary care estates in island, rural, and coastal communities.
Answer: There is no separate assessment of general practice (GP) premises as part of the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) assessments of practices. The CQC’s Premises Regulations, primarily Regulation 15, mandate that care locations must be clean, suitable, secure...
Answered 28 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPrimary Health Care: BuildingsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 14 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106016More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding has been allocated for the improvement and expansion of the primary care estate in each of the last five financial years.
Answer: There is no separate assessment of general practice (GP) premises as part of the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) assessments of practices. The CQC’s Premises Regulations, primarily Regulation 15, mandate that care locations must be clean, suitable, secure...
Answered 28 Jan 2026
Original Parliament record
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