Josh Newbury MP: written questions
24 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Artificial Intelligence: Job CreationDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 25 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 900743More
Question: ?To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that AI creates jobs in the UK.
Answer: AI is already creating new, well-paid jobs. And we have launched the Pro-worker AI Adoption Prize to promote UK organisations that adopt AI in ways that provide workers with new capabilities and create new jobs.To ensure workers can access these jobs, we ...
Answered 1 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordEU External Trade: Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 908473More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the EU-Mercosur trade agreement on farmers in Northern Ireland.
Answer: I understand that the EU-Mercosur interim Trade Agreement will apply provisionally from May 2026, and we will monitor its effects on trade and our imports closely. While Northern Ireland has access to the EU Single Market in agricultural goods alongside t...
Answered 25 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAdoptionDepartment for EducationTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112703More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent meetings her Department has had with victims of forced adoptions in England.
Answer: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has met with members of the Movement for an Adoption Apology, and the Adult Adoptee Movement, to hear first hand the experiences of those affected by historical adoption practices. Their testimoni...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordCountryside Stewardship Scheme and Landscape Recovery SchemeDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110916More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of funding under the (a) Landscape Recovery and (b) Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier scheme has been received by farms smaller than 200 acres.
Answer: The Landscape Recovery (LR) scheme does not directly award funding to participant land managers. Rather, the scheme awards funding to Projects, when in their development phase, and to a Single Legal Entity when they are in their implementation phase. This...
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordHousing: Building AlterationsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110915More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including wraparound extensions within permitted development rights for householders.
Answer: The government continues to keep permitted development rights under review.
Answered 11 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordFurther Education: TeachersDepartment for EducationTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110914More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of salary differences between college lecturers and school teachers on recruitment to further education teaching posts for (a) construction
Answer: Further education (FE) colleges are responsible for setting and negotiating staff pay and terms and conditions within colleges. The government recognises that colleges are facing recruitment challenges in construction and engineering. That is why our targ...
Answered 16 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordFish: ExportsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110913More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress her Department has made on aligning the Fish Export Service with the EU CATCH system.
Answer: Following the entry into force of the EU’s new CATCH system on 10 January, we have successfully updated the UK’s Fish Exports Service to allow UK exporters to generate compliant documentation. UK Government has engaged extensively with both UK industry an...
Answered 11 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordSeafood: ImportsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110912More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress her Department has made on digitising the catch certificate scheme.
Answer: UK catch certificates for export are already available digitally through the Fish Export Service. Catch certificates the Government receive from third countries are generally paper-based documents. The Government will consider any opportunities to move to...
Answered 11 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordChildminding: Tax AllowancesTreasuryTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103476More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the removal of the automatic wear-and-tear allowance for childminders as part of the Making Tax Digital reforms, what steps she will take to ensure childminders receive tax relief for incidental ex
Answer: Childminders play a vital role in childcare. The Government has eased rules on working from schools and community centres and increased early years funding rates above 2023 average fees. These increases reflect increased costs, and from April 2026, local ...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordChildcare: Tax AllowancesTreasuryTabled 6 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 103475More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the removal of the automatic wear-and-tear allowance on (a) growth in the childminding sector and (b) the number of childcare places available to parents.
Answer: Childminders play a vital role in childcare. The Government has eased rules on working from schools and community centres and increased early years funding rates above 2023 average fees. These increases reflect increased costs, and from April 2026, local ...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordFuels: Excise DutiesTreasuryTabled 18 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 907122More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations she has received on the potential impact of the planned rise in fuel duty on motorists.
Answer: At Budget 2025, the Government announced continued support for people and businesses by extending the temporary 5p fuel duty cut until the end of August 2026. Rates will then gradually return to early 2022 levels. The planned increase in line with inflati...
Answered 8 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordTree PlantingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 5 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 88391More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of mandating a minimum aftercare period for trees planted as a condition of planning permissions for new homes.
Answer: The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that planning policies and decisions should ensure that appropriate measures are in place to secure the long-term maintenance of newly-planted trees. The National Design Guide, which supports the Framewor...
Answered 12 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordTree PlantingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 5 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 88390More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if his Department will make an assessment of the number of new trees required as part of planning permissions which are (a) never planted and (b) not maintained for the required
Answer: The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that planning policies and decisions should ensure that appropriate measures are in place to secure the long-term maintenance of newly-planted trees. The National Design Guide, which supports the Framewor...
Answered 12 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordKelp: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 5 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 88389More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help protect kelp forests in UK waters.
Answer: The UK recognises the important role that habitats such as kelp can play in preventing biodiversity loss, supporting healthy ecosystems and adaptation to climate change. In England, we have a comprehensive network of 181 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and ...
Answered 11 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordPlants: SalesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 5 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 88388More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of rhododendron sales on woodland (a) management and (b) restoration.
Answer: Defra has not conducted a formal assessment specifically regarding the impact of rhododendron sales on woodland management or restoration. However, the Department recognises that Rhododendron ponticum is a highly invasive non-native species that poses a s...
Answered 12 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordFertility: ClinicsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 78867More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with private fertility clinics on their profit levels.
Answer: No such discussions have taken place with private fertility clinics.The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) is the UK-wide regulator for fertility treatment but has no powers over the commissioning of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) or the co...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFertility: ClinicsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 78866More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the performance of NHS-commissioned fertility clinics.
Answer: The Government recognises that fertility treatment across the National Health Service in England is subject to variation in access. Work continues between the Department and NHS England to better understand NHS-funded fertility services and the effectiven...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFertility: Medical TreatmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 78865More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to mental health support for people undergoing fertility treatment.
Answer: The Government is committed to putting patients first. This means making sure that patients are seen on time and ensuring that people have the best possible experience during their care. We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will suppor...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFertility: MenDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 78864More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of routine sperm health testing as an indicator of wider physiological health conditions.
Answer: The Government is committed to putting patients first. This means making sure that patients are seen on time and ensuring that people have the best possible experience during their care. We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will suppor...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFertility: MenDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 78863More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that men accessing fertility services are routinely offered comprehensive diagnostic testing.
Answer: The Government is committed to putting patients first. This means making sure that patients are seen on time and ensuring that people have the best possible experience during their care. We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will suppor...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPeople Smuggling: International CooperationHome OfficeTabled 9 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 905657More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress her Department has made on increasing international cooperation to help tackle organised immigration crime.
Answer: This government has strengthened co-operation on organised immigration crime with countries near and far – forging new and deeper partnerships through action such as our landmark border security statement with Iraq.Deals have been struck that no other gov...
Answered 15 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Culture, Media and Sport: Sport, Leisure and Culture ConsultancyDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 73801More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has engaged the Sport, Leisure and Culture Consultancy (SLC) as an external provider.
Answer: The Department has not engaged the Sport, Leisure and Culture Consultancy (SLC) as an external provider.
Answered 15 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordBoilers: BatteriesDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71536More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of battery enabled boilers could make on decarbonising domestic heating in smaller homes.
Answer: Heat batteries, sometimes referred to as ‘battery enabled boilers’, can utilise time-of-use tariffs and do not require outside space; however, they are less efficient than heat pumps. Heat batteries could meet the needs of some smaller homes, however if t...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordGender Recognition CertificatesWomen and EqualitiesTabled 28 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 905473More
Question: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent steps she has taken with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to reform the Gender Recognition Certificate process.
Answer: We are absolutely clear that trans people should be able to live openly with dignity and respect.We have set out our immediate priorities in our Plan for Change. Our priorities for trans people are to pass a trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices, st...
Answered 3 Sept 2025
Original Parliament record
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