Luke Evans MP: written questions
1148 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Misrepresentation: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment for Business, Innovation, Science and TradeTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 21893More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what recent assessment has he made about trends in the use of AI to misrepresent products to consumers.
Answer: The Government is committed to ensuring that consumers can shop online with confidence and that businesses using AI do so in compliance with consumer protection legislation. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 prohibits unfair commerci...
Answered 8 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence: East MidlandsDepartment for Business, Innovation, Science and TradeTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 21892More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, pursuant to WPQ 17716 answered on 17 July 2026 about Artificial Intelligence: West Midlands, what recent estimate he has made of the number of workers receiving essential AI skills
Answer: The Government is determined to ensure the benefits of artificial intelligence are felt in every part of the country, including Leicestershire and the wider East Midlands. Through AI Skills Boost we are providing free AI training for all, with over 1.7 mi...
Answered 7 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence: East MidlandsDepartment for Business, Innovation, Science and TradeTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 21891More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, pursuant to WPQ 17716 answered on 17 July 2026 about Artificial Intelligence: West Midlands, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of progress in meeting the commitments of t
Answer: The AI Opportunities Action Plan sets out UK-wide commitments rather than for individual regions. That plan is delivering. By January 2026, we met 38 of the Action Plan’s 50 commitments, driving AI adoption, progress across public services and the foundat...
Answered 7 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordBusiness RatesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 21890More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure the prosperity of rural and less economically productive areas where significant business rate-generating sites are transferred to larger urban
Answer: The Government is committed to delivering good growth in every postcode. That includes creating strong growth engines for all areas, including cities, towns, rural and coastal areas. The 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement strengthened the link be...
Answered 8 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: ReorganisationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 21889More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to determine necessary criteria to assess whether strategic authorities are suitably established by the end of 2027 and able to be operational by 2028.
Answer: The Cabinet Statement, “Rewiring the State”, set out the Government’s ambition is to ensure every area in England has, or is in the process of establishing, a strategic authority by the end of 2027, with strategic authorities in place everywhere by the en...
Answered 4 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: ReorganisationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 21888More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, What is her Department's policy on allowing residents of a newly formed strategic authority to vote on governance changes.
Answer: There is no statutory provision for a local referendum on the governance arrangements of a combined authority or combined county authority. A strategic authority's members are councillors appointed by its constituent councils and accountable to their loca...
Answered 4 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordFarmers: Water AbstractionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 21887More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what conversations is she having with [i] Water Companies and [ii] Environment Agency about communication to affected farmers and landowners about water abstraction changes and infrast
Answer: Ministers engage regularly with both the Environment Agency (EA) and water companies on drought preparedness and response, including through the National Drought Group, to assess drought impacts and coordinate action across sectors, including agriculture....
Answered 8 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordFarmers: Water AbstractionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 21886More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she will conduct a review of water abstraction licensing for farmers to ensure that any regime better captures winter flows and periods of high rainfall.
Answer: The Government encourages the use of reservoirs to store high winter flows.To enable farmers to make better use of available water during wetter periods, Defra is taking steps towards a more dynamic abstraction licensing system and encouraging the use of ...
Answered 8 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordHorticulture: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 21885More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will conduct a comparative assessment of the level of grants provided to horticultural growers and the costs of modern horticultural water infrastructure.
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of resilient water infrastructure for horticultural growers and continues to support investment through available grant schemes. We keep all our schemes under review and engage regularly across different sectors to...
Answered 4 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordFood: ProductionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 21884More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she is having with [a] water companies and [b] the Environment Agency about maintaining food production during periods of drought.
Answer: Ministers engage regularly with both the Environment Agency (EA) and water companies on drought preparedness and response, including through the National Drought Group, to assess drought impacts and coordinate action across sectors, including agriculture....
Answered 8 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordFruit: HorticultureDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 21883More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent conversations she has had with the British Berry Growers Association about the challenges faced by British Berry Growers.
Answer: Defra Ministers and officials engage regularly with a range of horticultural stakeholders, including the British Berry Growers association, to discuss opportunities and challenges facing the sector, including through the Horticulture Environment and Growt...
Answered 7 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordFarms: WaterDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 21882More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to WPQ 18148 answered on 16 July 2026 about 'Farms Water,' when does she intend to publish an outcome.
Answer: The Environment Agency is reviewing its approach to high-flow abstraction to help farmers store water when it is available and to simplify access to long-duration abstraction licences. The review is ongoing, and its findings will be published in due cours...
Answered 8 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordTransport: East MidlandsDepartment for TransportTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 21881More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of an enhanced A5 on (a) regional connectivity between the East and the West Midlands and (b) aligning East Midlands transport spending in line with c
Answer: The third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3), published in March 2026, included a series of improvements to the A5 as part of the pipeline of future planned enhancement schemes to be delivered in the 2030s. These schemes, should they pass the necessary busin...
Answered 7 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordTransport: East MidlandsDepartment for TransportTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 21880More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of the potential development of (a) the Ivanhoe Line and (b) other new railway projects in Leicestershire to (i) support regional connectivity and (ii) ali
Answer: Rail investment plays an important role in supporting regional connectivity. Published allocations for Leicestershire County Council total £251,836,827 for 2026/27 to 2028/29 (2029/30 for capital). These settlements give individual local transport authori...
Answered 8 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordTransport: East MidlandsDepartment for TransportTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 21879More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the Treasury on aligning transport funding in the East Midlands with other areas in England.
Answer: All local transport authorities – including those in the East Midlands – have been provided with multi-year consolidated local transport funding settlements over the current Spending Review Period (2026/27 to 2028/29 for resource funding and 2029/30 for c...
Answered 7 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordProductivity: East MidlandsTreasuryTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 21878More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps he is taking to close the labour productivity gap in the East Midlands.
Answer: The Government's ambition is to support good growth across all parts of the United Kingdom. As set out in the Prime Minister's recent Machinery of Government Statement, No10 North will be responsible for driving good growth through devolution and working ...
Answered 22 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordMarriage: RelativesMinistry of JusticeTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 21877More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will introduce measures to progress changes to the Marriage Act 1949 and the Sexual Offences Act 2003 to place restrictions on first cousin marriage.
Answer: The Government does not collect data on the prevalence of first cousin marriage. The evidence referenced in WPQ 16079 relates to longitudinal research from the Born in Bradford programme which shows that rates of consanguineous relationships have fallen s...
Answered 8 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordMarriage: RelativesMinistry of JusticeTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 21876More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent conversations he has had with health bodies on the increased risk of congenital birth defects to children whose parents are first cousins.
Answer: The Government does not collect data on the prevalence of first cousin marriage. The evidence referenced in WPQ 16079 relates to longitudinal research from the Born in Bradford programme which shows that rates of consanguineous relationships have fallen s...
Answered 8 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordMarriage: RelativesMinistry of JusticeTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 21875More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to WPQ 16079 answered on 14 July 2026 about 'Marriage, Relatives,' if he will publish the evidence that the number of first cousins choosing to marry in England is declining.
Answer: The Government does not collect data on the prevalence of first cousin marriage. The evidence referenced in WPQ 16079 relates to longitudinal research from the Born in Bradford programme which shows that rates of consanguineous relationships have fallen s...
Answered 8 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordLeukaemia: DiagnosisDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 21874More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will consider the potential impact of system challenges on the cause of avoidable delays in the diagnosis of leukaemia.
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided to the Hon Member for South Northamptonshire and the Hon Member for Hinckley and Bosworth on 3 and 15 July 2026 in response to Questions 13714 and 14438.
Answered 14 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordSchool Meals: StandardsDepartment for EducationTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 21873More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will assess the potential impact of the Government food procurement and guidance on the use of slaughtered and non-slaughtered meat on (a) meeting animal welfare standards and (b) awareness amongst cater
Answer: The School Food Standards set the mandatory nutritional framework for food and drink provided in state‑funded schools in England. They do not specify food requirements in terms of cultural and religious needs. Beyond the School Food Standards, headteacher...
Answered 8 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordSchool Meals: StandardsDepartment for EducationTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 21872More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will assess the methods by which schools interpret the concept of reasonable adjustments referred to in the 2023 School Food in England guidance to source stunned and non-stunned meat for the medical, di
Answer: The School Food Standards set the mandatory nutritional framework for food and drink provided in state‑funded schools in England. They do not specify food requirements in terms of cultural and religious needs. Beyond the School Food Standards, headteacher...
Answered 8 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordSchool Meals: StandardsDepartment for EducationTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 21871More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will assess the effectiveness of the [i] School Food Regulations 2014, [ii] School Food Standards practical guide, [iii] School food standards: resources for schools and [iv] School Food in England and c
Answer: The School Food Standards set the mandatory nutritional framework for food and drink provided in state‑funded schools in England. They do not specify food requirements in terms of cultural and religious needs. Beyond the School Food Standards, headteacher...
Answered 8 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordAdoption and Kinship CareDepartment for EducationTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 21870More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress she has made in finalising the Government's response to the consultation The Adoption Support that works for all: Reimagining adoption and kinship support, making it fit for the future.
Answer: Through our ‘Adoption Support that Works for All’ consultation, the department is considering evidence from adoptive and kinship families, and other stakeholders, about the support they would like to see made available.The consultation included proposals ...
Answered 4 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordAdoption and Kinship CareDepartment for EducationTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 21869More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will conduct an assessment of the effectiveness of Regional Adoption Agency Multi-Disciplinary Teams in providing differing levels of support for families who have adopted children and families who are k
Answer: Through our ‘Adoption Support that Works for All’ consultation, the department is considering evidence from adoptive and kinship families, and other stakeholders, about the support they would like to see made available.The consultation included proposals ...
Answered 4 Sept 2026
Original Parliament record
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