Joe Robertson MP: written questions
1049 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Agriculture: GrantsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29975More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to reintroduce capital grant schemes for farmers.
Answer: In November 2024, we closed parts of the Capital Grants scheme to new applications following unprecedented demand. We are reviewing the Capital Grants offer to ensure funding goes further to improve outcomes for food security and nature conservation. We w...
Answered 17 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Inheritance TaxDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29974More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with supermarkets on the inheritance tax changes to agricultural land and property.
Answer: Defra regularly engages with supermarkets and producers on a range of issues pertinent to the food supply chain including food supply, environmental policies and food security. However, IHT policy is primarily under the jurisdiction of HMT as it is a tax ...
Answered 24 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Inheritance TaxDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29973More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with local authorities on the inheritance tax changes to agricultural land and property.
Answer: As is standard practise, the Department has not held discussions with local authorities on this issue.
Answered 12 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordUSA: World Health OrganizationForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29313More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2025 to Question 26628 on USA: World Health Organisation, whether he plans to increase the monetary value of the UK contribution to the W
Answer: I refer the Hon. Member to my answer of 5 February 2025 to Question 26628, which can be found on the Q&A web pages: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-01-27/26628. Further information on the UK's support to the Wo...
Answered 11 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordAccident and Emergency Departments: StandardsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28859More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of publishing year-round data on the number of patients being treated in temporary care environments.
Answer: The Government is clear that patients should expect and receive the highest standard of service, and is determined to tackle the issue of corridor care.On 30 January, we published Road to recovery: the government's 2025 mandate to NHS England, which set o...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordCare Workers: Conditions of EmploymentDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28798More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of exploitative employment practices by social care employers.
Answer: We have seen unacceptable increases in unethical practices and exploitation in the adult social care sector. The Department works closely with regulators, local authorities, other departments, and enforcement bodies to share concerns and intelligence abou...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordCare Workers: Conditions of EmploymentDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28797More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to end exploitative employment practices by social care employers.
Answer: We have seen unacceptable increases in unethical practices and exploitation in the adult social care sector. The Department works closely with regulators, local authorities, other departments, and enforcement bodies to share concerns and intelligence abou...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordAccident and Emergency Departments: StandardsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28796More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to end the use of corridor care in the NHS.
Answer: The Government is clear that patients should expect and receive the highest standard of service, and is determined to tackle the issue of corridor care.On 30 January, we published Road to recovery: the government's 2025 mandate to NHS England, which set o...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Work and Pensions: Muslim Council of BritainDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28705More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Minister for Social Security and Disability travelled to the Muslim Council of Britain's leadership dinner on 25 January 2025 by Ministerial car; whether the invitation was (a) received and
Answer: I travelled by public transport to and from the Muslim Council of Britain leadership dinner on the evening of 20 January 2025. My ministerial office was not involved in the invitation arrangements. I was at the event for approximately an hour, and consume...
Answered 11 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordMental Health Services: Waiting ListsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28412More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the backlog of people waiting for elective mental health care.
Answer: Patients have been let down for too long whilst they wait for the care they need. Currently, the elective waiting list stands at 7.48 million patient pathways, with over six million people waiting. We are committed to putting patients first, making sure t...
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordShipping: TrainingDepartment for TransportTabled 3 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28396More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support skills (a) development and (b) training in the maritime sector.
Answer: DfT remains committed to delivering a maritime workforce, with the skills and people it needs, both now and for the future.The Maritime Skills Commission, which DfT is part of, assesses the sector’s current and future skills needs. DfT and the Maritime an...
Answered 11 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordShipping: Supply ChainsDepartment for TransportTabled 3 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28394More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the resilience of maritime supply chains.
Answer: While the sector is fully privatised, my Department engages closely with industry to understand maritime operational issues that may affect wider supply chains. Assessment of those wider supply chain impacts sits with other government departments, dependi...
Answered 11 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordShipping: PayDepartment for TransportTabled 3 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28393More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking with her international counterparts to help improve (a) pay and (b) conditions for seafarers operating in UK waters.
Answer: Improving the pay and working conditions of seafarers is a priority for this government. We are committed to working with our international partners to improve standards. We have worked closely with the French government to create a minimum wage corridor ...
Answered 11 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: Digital TechnologyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28301More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve digital (a) literacy and (b) confidence in NHS clinical staff.
Answer: We are striving for digital services to improve access, experiences, and outcomes for the widest range of people, based on their preferences, as any digital healthcare benefits will be limited if people remain digitally excluded.Mitigating against the ris...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: Digital TechnologyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28299More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to integrate digital tools into NHS services to help (a) tailor those services to the diverse needs of patients and (b) improve those services.
Answer: Patients are able to access National Health Services, such as requesting general practice appointments and managing secondary care appointments, through local online tools and the NHS App, which can also be accessed through a web browser. The NHS App is d...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPharmacyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28298More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of community pharmacies in maintaining public health.
Answer: Pharmacies are commissioned to deliver a range of evidence-based services that contribute to public health, including providing advice on maintaining health, treatment for common conditions, identifying people with high blood pressure, initiating and mana...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPrimary CareDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28297More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help stabilise primary care.
Answer: The 10-Year Health Plan will describe a shared vision for the health and care system in 2035, drawing directly from the extensive engagement underway with the public, patients, and staff.We have announced a proposed £889 million uplift for general practic...
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordMemory Clinics: StaffDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28296More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps to increase the (a) number of specialists in and (b) level of training on young onset dementia in memory assessment services.
Answer: We recognise that those with young onset dementia who draw on care and support have different ambitions and face different challenges to older age adults.The Government is committed to transforming diagnostic services, including the detection and diagnosi...
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordDementia: Learning DisabilityDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28294More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking with NHS England to tackle diagnostic overshadowing of dementia symptoms for patients with learning disabilities.
Answer: The annual health check for people with learning disabilities should include a review of mental health, including signs of dementia, especially in adults with Down’s syndrome. People requiring an assessment for dementia should be referred to a clinician w...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordDementia: DiagnosisDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28291More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that patients with dementia living in (a) rural and (b) socio economically-deprived areas are diagnosed as quickly as those in other areas.
Answer: Given the level of inequalities known within dementia diagnosis, NHS England commissioned the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) to develop a resource to support investigation of the underlying variation in dementia diagnosis rates.The O...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordDementia: DiagnosisDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28290More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure (a) timely and (b) equitable dementia diagnosis.
Answer: The Government and NHS England remain committed to increasing the dementia diagnosis rate to the national ambition of 66.7%. To support recovery of the dementia diagnosis rates and implementation of the Dementia Care Pathway, NHS England has developed a d...
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Mckinsey and CompanyDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27787More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department spent on consultancy work undertaken by McKinsey and Company as part of its Arm’s Length Body Transformation Programme; and if he will publish the (a) reports a
Answer: This information is in the public domain and can be accessed through here. The cost towards “ORGANISATIONAL STRATEGY WORK” for McKinsey was £403,385. Defra does not plan to publish the McKinsey report and its recommendations, as it relates to work under t...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordEmpty Property: Business PremisesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27474More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to make local councils aware of the High Street Rental Auctions scheme.
Answer: The government continues to work with local councils to support the implementation of the High Street Rental Auction powers.In November I wrote to the leaders and chief executives of every local authority in England notifying them of the commencement date...
Answered 7 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordLand BankingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27472More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to (a) help prevent land banking by developers and (b) ensure that land earmarked for housing development is used to increase the supply of af
Answer: The government wants to see homes built faster and we recognise the frustrations that stalled or delayed sites can cause to communities.Once housebuilders have been granted permission for residential development, meeting local housing needs and preference...
Answered 7 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordDementia: DiagnosisDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 29 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27469More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to implement a commission lead review on dementia diagnostics.
Answer: Lord Darzi’s independent review showed that a timely diagnosis is vital to ensuring that a person with dementia can access the advice, information, care, and support that can help them to live well and remain independent for as long as possible.The 10-Yea...
Answered 5 Feb 2025
Original Parliament record
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