Joe Robertson MP: written questions 2025
626 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Great British Railways: StaffDepartment for TransportTabled 19 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92816More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of changes to staffing levels resulting from the establishment of Great British Railways.
Answer: Details on exact roles are subject to further design work. GBR will need colleagues from across the railway to continue the hard work that they do delivering for passengers. We will continue to engage with the industry on our plans for GBR.
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordGreat British RailwaysDepartment for TransportTabled 19 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92815More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what timetable has been set for the transfer of assets, staff and responsibilities from Network Rail to Great British Railways.
Answer: Network Rail and its functions will become a foundational part of Great British Railways (GBR) as it is stood up. The detailed GBR design process is underway, considering how all functions in Network Rail, DfT Operator, publicly-owned train operating comp...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordCivil Proceedings: Legal CostsMinistry of JusticeTabled 19 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92811More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to support the funding of third-party litigation in London.
Answer: The Government recognises the critical role third-party litigation funding plays in access to justice and is committed to ensuring it works fairly for all.The Government welcomes the Civil Justice Council review of litigation funding, which will help info...
Answered 4 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordCompetition: Civil ProceedingsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 19 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92810More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure the effectiveness of private enforcement in competition cases in the courts.
Answer: The competition opt-out collective actions regime enables competition claims to be brought where many individuals have claims substantially similar in nature. This provides a route to litigation where it would otherwise be impractical or unaffordable. The...
Answered 1 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordCivil Proceedings: Legal CostsMinistry of JusticeTabled 19 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92809More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to introduce legislation to remedy the impact of the judgment in R (on the application of PACCAR Inc and others) (Appellants) v Competition Appeal Tribunal and others (Respondents) UKSC/2021/0078
Answer: The Government recognises the critical role third-party litigation funding plays in access to justice and is committed to ensuring it works fairly for all.The Government welcomes the Civil Justice Council review of litigation funding, which will help info...
Answered 4 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordLarge Goods Vehicles: Small BusinessesDepartment for TransportTabled 19 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92808More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to (a) protect SME hauliers from pricing by major lorry manufacturers and (b) ensure access to third-party litigation funding for those hauliers.
Answer: Ensuring that consumers and SMEs are only required to pay fair prices is of the utmost importance and is a key feature of truly competitive markets. The UK has a robust competition enforcement landscape to ensure that this is achieved, both through public...
Answered 28 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordLarge Goods Vehicles: Small BusinessesDepartment for TransportTabled 19 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92807More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the cost to SME hauliers of prices set by major lorry manufacturers.
Answer: Ensuring that consumers and SMEs are only required to pay fair prices is of the utmost importance and is a key feature of truly competitive markets. The UK has a robust competition enforcement landscape to ensure that this is achieved, both through public...
Answered 28 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAnimal ExperimentsHome OfficeTabled 17 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91878More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the strategy Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November 2025 and the target to replac
Answer: The Home Office is committed to supporting the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods to animal testing, as outlined in the published strategy: Replacing animals in science’, published on 11 November 2025.The last licence authorising th...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAnimal ExperimentsHome OfficeTabled 17 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91877More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the strategy Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November 2025 and the target to replac
Answer: The Home Office is committed to supporting the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods to animal testing, as outlined in the published strategy: Replacing animals in science’, published on 11 November 2025.The last licence authorising th...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAnimal Experiments: RabbitsHome OfficeTabled 17 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91876More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the strategy Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November 2025 and the target to replac
Answer: The Home Office is committed to supporting the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods to animal testing, as outlined in the published strategy: Replacing animals in science’, published on 11 November 2025.The last licence authorising th...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: WeatherDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91798More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the early flu season on corridor care, hospital capacity, and patient outcomes.
Answer: The Department is continuing to take key steps to ensure the health service is prepared for the colder months. This includes taking actions to try and reduce demand pressure on accident and emergency, increasing vaccination rates, and offering health chec...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordTobaccoDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91795More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his policy is on the banning of cigarette filters, in the context of the upcoming eleventh Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
Answer: We are confident that the best way to tackle tobacco litter and to protect people’s health is to reduce the prevalence of smoking. That is why we are taking decisive action through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to create a smoke-free generation alongside con...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordElectronic CigarettesTreasuryTabled 17 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91793More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the UK delegation attending the fourth Meeting of Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control plans to (a) oppose the extension of the scope of application of the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Tra
Answer: The procedures for amending the World Health Organization Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products are laid down in Articles 38 and 39 of that treaty. These stipulate that any proposals need to be communicated to parties at least six months...
Answered 20 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: StrikesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91043More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2025 to Question 77546 on NHS: Strikes, whether (a) paid and (b) unpaid trade union facility time can be used for NHS staff who are trade union representatives
Answer: It is for each National Health Service employer and representatives of locally recognised trades unions to agree in partnership to local arrangements and procedures on time off and facilities that are appropriate in local circumstances and whether that ti...
Answered 1 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: StrikesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91042More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2025 to Question 77546 on NHS: Strikes, whether NHS staff who are on strike may be paid by another NHS trust for undertaking (a) agency and (b) locum during the
Answer: Regulation 7 of the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003 stipulates that striking National Health Service staff can work for another NHS trust on days of industrial action as long as they do not do so via an employment...
Answered 1 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: StrikesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91040More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2024 to Question 73326 on NHS: Strikes, if he will take steps to amend NHS contracts to ban the practice of NHS employees who are on strike from being paid by
Answer: There are no current plans to prohibit National Health Service employees in England who undertake strike action from being paid for work by other NHS bodies on strike days.NHS staff who are on strike are not prevented by law from working for non-NHS bodie...
Answered 10 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordTrade Unions: EqualityDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91039More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Pursuant to the answer of 10 October, to Question 75034, on Trade Union: Equality, which civil service diversity networks in (a) his department and (b) NHS England are eligible for network time; an
Answer: Within the Department, paid facility time is provided for accredited trade union representatives to carry out duties in line with legislation and the trade union partnership framework, but not for participation in staff networks.Chairs and committee membe...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: NegligenceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 90836More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help tackle increases in legal costs for clinical negligence.
Answer: The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the National Health Service in England are of great concern to the Government. Costs have more than doubled in the last 10 years and are forecast to continue rising, putting further pressure on NHS fi...
Answered 26 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: Isle of Wight and HampshireDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 90835More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support the (a) health and (b) wellbeing of the NHS workforce (i) on the Isle of Wight and (ii) in Hampshire.
Answer: The health and wellbeing of all National Health Service staff is a top priority. Local employers across the NHS have in place existing arrangements for supporting staff, including occupational health provision, employee support programmes, and a focus on ...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS Trusts: City of Sanctuary UKDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 90801More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to issue guidance to NHS Trusts to discourage them from supporting City of Sanctuary.
Answer: There are no plans to issue guidance on this matter. National Health Service organisations are required to use their resources in the interests of patients and to secure value for money for taxpayers.
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: FreightDepartment for TransportTabled 12 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 90564More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to ensure that (a) the Office of Rail and Road or (b) another independent body has powers to (i) oversee, (ii) intervene in and (iii) appeal decisions on (A) access, (B) contract duration and
Answer: The ORR will act as a robust and independent appeals body overseeing access and charging decisions made by GBR on the GBR network. The ORR will be able to consider appeals relating to all GBR’s decisions on access to and use of the network and its chargin...
Answered 18 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: InspectionsDepartment for TransportTabled 12 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 90563More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to set out inspection frequency requirements for the Office of Rail and Road under Great British Railways.
Answer: It will be for the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), as the independent rail safety regulator, to monitor Great British Railways' compliance with its statutory safety requirements and determine the frequency of inspections it will undertake.
Answered 18 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordGreat British Railways: SafetyDepartment for TransportTabled 12 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 90562More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what minimum safety standards will apply to Great British Railways infrastructure and operations.
Answer: The minimum safety requirements that apply under existing rail safety legislation will remain unchanged for Great British Railways.
Answered 18 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: TechnologyDepartment for TransportTabled 12 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 90561More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the introduction of (a) new technologies, (b) automation and (c) artificial intelligence in rail operations on levels of safety.
Answer: New technologies such as artificial intelligence present potentially significant opportunities for the rail industry to improve performance in areas such as safety. It is for the industry, overseen by the Office of Rail and Road, to assess how new technol...
Answered 18 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordGreat British Railways: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 12 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 90560More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of future levels of funding on Great British Railways' service provision.
Answer: SR25 and CP7 set budgets up to and including 2028/29. Future Spending Reviews and the next Periodic Review will determine funding levels, and what outputs that is expected to deliver, beyond 2028/29.
Answered 17 Nov 2025
Original Parliament record
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