John Milne MP: written questions 2025
132 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Energy: InfrastructureDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43339More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether communities affected by (a) community-run and (b) centrally-led energy infrastructure development will receive (i) energy bill discounts and (ii) other compensation.
Answer: In the Clean Power Action Plan, we made clear that where communities host clean energy infrastructure, they should feel tangible and enduring benefit of doing so. We are exploring options in this area, including community funds and shared ownership. The G...
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy Supply: PlanningDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43336More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, who is responsible for the (a) design and (b) delivery of the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan.
Answer: The UK, Scottish and Welsh governments have commissioned the National Energy System Operator (NESO) to develop the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan. NESO is independently producing the plan, with oversight from the three governments and Ofgem.
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCommunity EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43335More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that the land use framework encourages community energy projects.
Answer: My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ministerial Colleagues on a number of issues. The Government is currently consulting on the Land Use Framework, which aims to use the most sophisticated land use data ever published, to ...
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCommunity EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43330More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to direct the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan to be inclusive of community energy projects.
Answer: The Strategic Spatial Energy Plan is a national, transmission-level plan covering Great Britain, and as such it will not prescribe or authorise individual projects at community level. Regional Energy Strategic Plans (RESPs) will undertake spatial planning...
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordAnimal ExperimentsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 25 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41356More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make it his policy to make £20 million available each year to fund research into alternatives for animal testing.
Answer: The Labour Manifesto includes a commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”, which is a long-term goal. The government will publish a strategy to support the development, valida...
Answered 2 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordRespiratory Syncytial Virus: VaccinationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 24 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40962More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of offering the RSV vaccination to people over the age of 65.
Answer: The policy for the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) programme is based on the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), an independent expert advisory committee. That advice is provided to the Government to inform, develop, an...
Answered 1 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordFire PreventionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38811More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to develop UK-specific regulations for (a) fire suppression systems, (b) ventilation and (c) emergency response procedures for battery energy storage syste
Answer: The Government agrees with the need to have robust measures in place to manage the risks associated with facilities that use large numbers of lithium-ion batteries. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regulates grid-scale lithium-ion batteries within a ...
Answered 25 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordFire PreventionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38810More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to (a) develop and (b) adopt UK-specific fire safety regulations for battery energy storage systems.
Answer: The Government agrees with the need to have robust measures in place to manage the risks associated with facilities that use large numbers of lithium-ion batteries. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regulates grid-scale lithium-ion batteries within a ...
Answered 25 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordFire PreventionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38809More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of creating national fire safety (a) standards and (b) regulations for battery energy storage sites to hel
Answer: The Government agrees with the need to have robust measures in place to manage the risks associated with facilities that use large numbers of lithium-ion batteries. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regulates grid-scale lithium-ion batteries within a ...
Answered 25 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordRural England Prosperity FundDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36970More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he made an assessment of the adequacy of the Rural England Prosperity Fund before reducing the level of funding to be provided through that scheme in the 2025-26 financial year
Answer: The Department announced on 4th March that it would be providing an additional £33 million for the Rural England Prosperity Fund in financial year 2025-26. This announcement continues funding beyond the lifetime of the original scheme providing new money ...
Answered 19 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordRural England Prosperity FundDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36560More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on what evidential basis he determined the level of funding through the Rural England Prosperity Fund in the 2025-26 financial year.
Answer: Defra announced on 4 March that it would be providing an additional £33 million for the Rural England Prosperity Fund in financial year 2025-26. This announcement continues funding beyond the lifetime of the original scheme providing new money for new pro...
Answered 28 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: Disability and Mental HealthDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 7 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36559More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of people claiming (a) disability and (b) incapacity benefits with a mental health condition are eligible for those benefits due solely to a mental health condition.
Answer: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Answered 17 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordWorkplace Pensions: RegulationDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32822More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to introduce regulations amending section 37 of the Pension Schemes Act 1993 for contracted out defined benefit schemes.
Answer: We have heard from pension schemes and industry representatives about the impacts arising from this judgment for pension schemes, their members, and sponsoring employers. Potential impacts are likely to be different for individual schemes. Where schemes d...
Answered 27 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordWorkplace PensionsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32821More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the judgement in Virgin Media Ltd v NTL Pension Trustees II Ltd, [2023] EWHC 1441 (Ch) on (a) occupational workplace pension schemes and (b) emplo
Answer: We have heard from pension schemes and industry representatives about the impacts arising from this judgment for pension schemes, their members, and sponsoring employers. Potential impacts are likely to be different for individual schemes. Where schemes d...
Answered 27 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: Cost of LivingDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32814More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of putting in place an independent process to set benefit levels in line with the cost of essentials.
Answer: No assessment has been made. The Social Security Administration Act 1992 requires the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to review benefit and State Pension rates each year to see if they have retained their value in relation to the general level of...
Answered 28 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: Cost of LivingDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32813More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an estimate of the level Universal Credit Standard Allowance should sit at per week in order to enable households to afford the essentials.
Answer: No assessment has been made at this point. The Government recognises the critical role Universal Credit has to play in tackling poverty and making work pay and has already taken steps to help those in need.Benefit rates are reviewed each year, increasing ...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: ReviewsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32812More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the upcoming review into Universal Credit will be required to regularly report to Parliament on its progress.
Answer: The Government is fulfilling its manifesto commitment to review Universal Credit in a range of ways. The Universal Credit review process is working alongside the child poverty taskforce and others to consider how the full range of Universal Credit policy ...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: ReviewsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32811More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to launch the review of Universal Credit; and when the review will conclude.
Answer: The review has already begun with the announcement of the Fair Repayment Rate in the Budget, giving 1.2m households an average of £420 per year. We are continuing to review the benefit to ensure it makes work pay and reduces poverty.
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: ReviewsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32810More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the upcoming review into Universal Credit will consult directly with groups of people who have lived experience of receiving Universal Credit.
Answer: The Department has been regularly engaging with stakeholders since the election and is committed to continuing to do so, on Universal Credit and other issues. We recognise the important role of people with a lived experience of receiving Universal Credit ...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: ReviewsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32809More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to lay out the terms of reference for the Government’s review into Universal Credit.
Answer: There are no terms of reference for the review process and we expect the review to take place throughout 2025. The Government is fulfilling its manifesto commitment to review Universal Credit in a range of ways. We have already announced dedicated strands...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordChild Trust Fund: Mental CapacityMinistry of JusticeTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29206More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she plans to take to resolve the issue where Child Trust Funds are inaccessible to disabled children who have been assessed as lacking the mental capacity to manage their own finances.
Answer: Where a young adult lacks mental capacity, including due to a disability, the law requires parents or a guardian to have legal authority to make decisions on their behalf about financial assets or property. This includes in relation to accessing funds hel...
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPension CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28826More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of applicants that started a Pension Credit online application did not complete it or submit the form in the latest period for which figures are available.
Answer: The total number of Pension Credit online applications started is unavailable because only data from users who opt-in to performance cookies on GOV.UK is collected.
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordChild Trust FundMinistry of JusticeTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28782More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make it her policy to allow release of Child Trust Funds to family members where those funds are inaccessible to disabled children unable to manage their finances.
Answer: Where a young adult lacks mental capacity, including due to a disability, the law requires parents or a guardian to have legal authority to make decisions on their behalf about financial assets or property. This includes in relation to accessing funds hel...
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: MaladministrationDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 3 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28258More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the number of employees working on benefit (a) underpayments and (b) overpayments.
Answer: His Majesty’s Treasury allocated DWP £110m to deliver on the fraud, error and debt Autumn Budget measures over the next financial year. As part of this, the Department is hiring an additional 3,000 staff to expand DWP’s Fraud, Error and Debt (FED) operati...
Answered 6 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordBreast Cancer: ResearchDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 30 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27790More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will meet with Dr Susan Michaelis to discuss funding of research into invasive lobular breast cancer.
Answer: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and Office for Life Sciences Officials have met with Dr Michaelis to discuss lobular breast cancer. The Government does not ringfence funding for specific cancer types. DSIT invests approximatel...
Answered 7 Feb 2025
Original Parliament record
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