Mark Sewards MP: written questions 2026
144 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Swimming: EducationTreasuryTabled 7 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 16718More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of removing VAT from swimming lessons for children.
Answer: Swimming lessons and water safety are vital life skills and are part of the national curriculum. The Department for Education is working closely with third sector organisations, including Swim England, the Royal Life Saving Society UK, and National Water ...
Answered 15 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordEmployment: Video RecordingsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 7 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 16717More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to protect workers from being filmed without consent while carrying out their duties and having that footage published on social media.
Answer: The Government is committed to ensuring that people can carry out their work without fear of harassment and believes that workers should be able to undertake their duties without being filmed and having that footage published online without their consent....
Answered 15 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordMedical ExaminersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15558More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Medical Examiners and Medical Examiner Officers have been recruited since the implementation of the death certification reforms in September 2024.
Answer: The workforce at medical examiner offices in 2025 is broadly in line with modelled expectations. In Wales, the medical examiner system workforce comprised of 12.8 whole time equivalent (WTE) medical examiners and 39.1 WTE medical examiner officers. In Eng...
Answered 8 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordMedical ExaminersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15557More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to provide additional funding to Medical Examiner offices experiencing persistent backlogs.
Answer: Funding for the medical examiner system is provided by integrated care boards (ICBs) direct to medical examiner offices and data from the National Medical Examiner report for 2025 indicate that staffing levels are broadly in line with the figures set out ...
Answered 8 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordMedical ExaminersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15556More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of staffing and resources available to Medical Examiner offices.
Answer: Funding for the medical examiner system is provided by integrated care boards (ICBs) direct to medical examiner offices and data from the National Medical Examiner report for 2025 indicate that staffing levels are broadly in line with the figures set out ...
Answered 8 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordMedical ExaminersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15555More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the sharing of best practice between Medical Examiner offices.
Answer: The National Health Service ensures the sharing of best practice between medical examiner offices through a centralised, tiered governance structure overseen by the National Medical Examiner (NME), which includes regular NHS England and NME bulletins, sha...
Answered 8 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordMedical ExaminersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15554More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether processes are in place to investigate Medical Examiner offices whose turnaround times consistently exceed the national average.
Answer: The National Medical Examiner (NME) Annual Report for 2025 has assessed the potential impact of medical examiner scrutiny on the completion of Medical Certificates of Cause of Death (MCCDs). The typical time to register deaths is seven to eight days, comp...
Answered 8 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordMedical Examiners: Death CertificatesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15553More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce delays in areas where Medical Examiner offices have reported the longest turnaround times for scrutiny of medical certificates of cause of death.
Answer: The National Medical Examiner (NME) Annual Report for 2025 has assessed the potential impact of medical examiner scrutiny on the completion of Medical Certificates of Cause of Death (MCCDs). The typical time to register deaths is seven to eight days, comp...
Answered 8 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordMedical ExaminersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15552More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to introduce national communication standards for Medical Examiner offices.
Answer: The Medical Examiners Regulations introduced in September 2024 set out the requirements for medical examiners’ terms and conditions. This includes the requirement for the bereaved to be an offered an opportunity to discuss the death and to raise any conce...
Answered 8 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordMedical Examiners: Death CertificatesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15551More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of delays in the medical examiner process on bereaved families and funeral arrangements.
Answer: The National Medical Examiner (NME) Annual Report for 2025 has assessed the potential impact of medical examiner scrutiny on the completion of Medical Certificates of Cause of Death (MCCDs). The typical time to register deaths is seven to eight days, comp...
Answered 8 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordMedical Examiners: Death CertificatesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15550More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Medical Examiner scrutiny on the timeliness of the completion of Medical Certificates of Cause of Death; and what assessment he has made of tr
Answer: The National Medical Examiner (NME) Annual Report for 2025 has assessed the potential impact of medical examiner scrutiny on the completion of Medical Certificates of Cause of Death (MCCDs). The typical time to register deaths is seven to eight days, comp...
Answered 8 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordMedical ExaminersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15549More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has plans to conduct a review of the Medical Examiner system introduced in September 2024.
Answer: The National Medical Examiner (NME) is responsible for oversight of the medical examiner system and provides guidance and professional leadership to medical examiners in England and Wales.The NME publishes an annual report which provides a review of how m...
Answered 8 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordPension CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 26 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13670More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that information on Pension Credit claims, mandatory reconsiderations and backdated payments is accessible to people who are classed as being digitally excl
Answer: The Government is committed to ensuring that Pension Credit services remain accessible to people who are digitally excluded. Pension Credit claims can be made online, by freephone telephone, or by completing a paper application form. For customers who are...
Answered 6 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordGCE A-level: AssessmentsDepartment for EducationTabled 26 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13669More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions her Department has had with Ofqual on ensuring that grade boundaries fairly reflect variations in the difficulty of A Level examination papers.
Answer: Each year, exam boards review a range of evidence when setting ground boundaries, including how students performed and the level of difficulty of the paper. If a paper is found to be more difficult than in previous years, grade boundaries will be set to r...
Answered 8 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordLivestock: Animal WelfareDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12921More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to establish a centralised system for publishing farmed animal welfare indicators, including mortality data.
Answer: The Government is not establishing a centralised system and already publishes indicators relevant to farmed animal welfare, for example, the percentage of eggs coming from different laying hen production systems. The Food Standards Agency separately publi...
Answered 1 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordLivestock: Animal WelfareDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12920More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to require the routine publication of farmed animal welfare inspection reports across all farmed species.
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of transparency where it relates to the welfare of farmed animals. The Government publishes the Multi Annual National Control Plan (MANCP) Annual Reports which includes national data on inspections.
Answered 1 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordChild Arrangements OrdersMinistry of JusticeTabled 23 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12583More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of decision making in family court proceedings relating to child arrangements.
Answer: Judicial decisions in family court proceedings relating to child arrangements are a matter for the independent judiciary.The Government is, however, committed to ensuring that outcomes in the family justice system prioritise the welfare of children. That ...
Answered 30 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordBusiness Premises: DepositsMinistry of JusticeTabled 23 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12393More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment her Department has made of the accessibility of legal redress for small businesses in disputes relating to commercial property holding deposits.
Answer: The Ministry of Justice has not conducted a specific assessment of this individual issue.We are aware that holding deposits are a common practice in negotiations for commercial premises. These are a private matter between landlords and businesses. However...
Answered 1 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordBusiness Premises: LeaseholdDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 23 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12392More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government on protections for small businesses entering into commercial lease negotiations.
Answer: This policy is owned by MHCLG and in the Government’s Plan for Small Businesses, published in July 2025, we committed to supporting the Law Commission in reviewing the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, part II, to ensure it is fit for today’s market.Landlords...
Answered 29 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordBusiness Premises: Small BusinessesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 23 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12390More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of protections for small businesses that pay holding deposits during negotiations for commercial premises.
Answer: We know that holding deposits are common practice in negotiations for commercial premises. These are a private matter between landlords and businesses. However, we would always advise that parties seek independent advice before making any deposit. The Gov...
Answered 30 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordFunerals: RegulationDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 23 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12380More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Department of Health and Social Care on consumer protection measures for the funeral sector.
Answer: The Department for Business and Trade has engaged with the Department of Health and Social Care to consider consumer protection issues in the funeral sector, including in relation to the Fuller Inquiry’s recommendations. The Government will publish its re...
Answered 1 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordFunerals: RegulationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12378More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of potential funding models for any future regulation of the funeral sector.
Answer: Raising standards in the care and treatment of the deceased is a sensitive and complex issue, spanning a number of sectors. The Department is leading cross-Government work to consider the full range of options across all relevant settings, including the f...
Answered 29 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordFunerals: StandardsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12377More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing minimum standards for the funeral sector.
Answer: Raising standards in the care and treatment of the deceased is a sensitive and complex issue, spanning a number of sectors. The Department is leading cross-Government work to consider the full range of options across all relevant settings, including the f...
Answered 29 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordFunerals: RegulationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12376More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if the Government will create a statutory regulator to oversee the funeral sector.
Answer: Raising standards in the care and treatment of the deceased is a sensitive and complex issue, spanning a number of sectors. The Department is leading cross-Government work to consider the full range of options across all relevant settings, including the f...
Answered 29 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordCarer's AllowanceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 16 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10440More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people receiving Carer’s Allowance are aware that taxable benefits in kind, including employer contributions to private health schemes, may be treated
Answer: Information on the treatment of earnings in Carer’s Allowance is available on GOV.UK and is also provided in the letter sent when entitlement is awarded, as well as in annual uprating letters. Where unpaid carers have further questions, they can contact t...
Answered 25 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
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