Mary Kelly Foy MP: written questions
140 published records · newest first.
Written questions
DebtsTreasuryTabled 11 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37282More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential (a) impact of (i) banks, (ii) finance and (iii) debt collection companies' practices on consumers and (b) merits of bringing forward regulation to prevent overcharging
Answer: The Government expects fair treatment of individuals in debt and recognises the important role of responsible practices for debt recovery. We likewise recognise the negative impact that aggressive pursuit of debt can have on individuals.For financial serv...
Answered 14 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy Supply: Rural AreasDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36751More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made with Ofgem of the potential merits of allocating more funding to local power grids to help ensure the reliability of levels of power supplied to rural
Answer: The Government is engaging with Ofgem to ensure that the distribution price control enable the required local infrastructure to power local communities. The current electricity distribution price control (RIIO-ED2 2023-2028) has allowed £22.2bn for upfron...
Answered 14 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHorizon IT System: CompensationDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 7 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36447More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he has taken to tackle compensation delays for people impacted by the Horizon Post Office scandal; what steps he is taking to (a) close the loophole that allows the Post Office to reset the
Answer: The Government is doing all it can to increase the pace of redress across all four Horizon compensation schemes. We are making upfront fixed offers and making interim and partial payments where possible. We continue to seek options to speed up redress in ...
Answered 17 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy: Data CentresDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36137More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of data centres on regional energy usage, in the context of increases in the use of AI.
Answer: The Government supports AI development in the UK and the economic growth it could bring. The Department is working closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology in setting up the AI Energy Council that will have senior representatives...
Answered 14 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordGeothermal Power: County DurhamDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36136More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential across the Durham Coalfield for producing sustainable geothermal energy from disused mines.
Answer: To achieve net zero at lowest cost, we must look at how to accelerate all low carbon technologies including geothermal. The mine water from coal mines shows good potential as a renewable source for heat networks. The government is therefore supporting min...
Answered 14 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHospices: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35368More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to distribute the second tranche of hospice funding based on (a) levels of need and (b) areas of deprivation.
Answer: We are pleased to confirm that the Government has released the first £25 million tranche of the £100 million of capital funding, with Hospice UK kindly allocating and distributing the money to hospices throughout England. For this first tranche, individua...
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDental Services: City of DurhamDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 11 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30722More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to NHS dental services in City of Durham constituency.
Answer: The Dental Statistics - England 2023/24, published by the NHS Business Services Authority on 22 August 2024, is available at the following link:https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202324In the NHS Nor...
Answered 18 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordMental Health Services: City of DurhamDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 11 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30721More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to mental health services in City of Durham constituency.
Answer: Waiting times for those referred to mental health services are too high all across England, including in the City of Durham constituency.Too many people with mental health issues are not getting the support or care they need, which is why we will fix the ...
Answered 27 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordHospices: City of DurhamDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 11 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30719More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support hospices in City of Durham constituency.
Answer: We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. We are working at great pace to get this year’s funding to hospices as ...
Answered 18 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordSelf-harmMinistry of JusticeTabled 11 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30717More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will take steps to ensure the proposed offence of (a) encouraging or (b) assisting self-harm will not criminalise (i) people or (ii) charities providing support to affected people; whether she plans to iss
Answer: Section 184 of the Online Safety Act 2023 gave partial effect to a Law Commission recommendation to create an offence of encouraging or assisting self-harm. The proposed new offence of encouraging or assisting serious self-harm intends to replace (in so f...
Answered 17 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordInternet: Self-harm and SuicideDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 11 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30716More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has plans to consult people with lived experience of self-harm and suicide on the implementation of the Online Safety Act 2023.
Answer: The government engages regularly with social media and search services and is clear that they should be taking action now to make their services safe for users.Under the Online Safety Act, in-scope services must prevent all users from encountering illegal...
Answered 19 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordInternet: Self-harm and SuicideDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 11 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30715More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will take steps to encourage social media and search platforms to exceed the requirements of the Online Safety Act 2023 in reducing access to harmful suicide and self-harm content
Answer: The government engages regularly with social media and search services and is clear that they should be taking action now to make their services safe for users.Under the Online Safety Act, in-scope services must prevent all users from encountering illegal...
Answered 19 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordInternet: SafetyDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 11 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30714More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions he has had with Ofcom on progress by the Small but Risky taskforce on tackling the risk posed by dangerous online platforms.
Answer: The Online Safety Act’s illegal content and, where relevant, child safety duties, will apply to services of all sizes. In September 2024, a public exchange of letters between the Secretary of State and Ofcom CEO outlined information about the taskforce: h...
Answered 19 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordInternet: SafetyDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 11 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30713More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to tackle the risk posed by small high-risk online platforms.
Answer: The Online Safety Act’s illegal content and, where relevant, child safety duties, will apply to services of all sizes. In September 2024, a public exchange of letters between the Secretary of State and Ofcom CEO outlined information about the taskforce: h...
Answered 19 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordVeterans: City of DurhamMinistry of DefenceTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30263More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to support veterans in City of Durham constituency.
Answer: This is a Government of service that will always stand up for those who serve our country, no matter which community they are based in. I am working across government and with civil society to ensure veterans, including those in the City of Durham, and th...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordState Retirement Pensions: WomenDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30262More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to support women born in the 1950s affected by State Pension age changes in City of Durham constituency.
Answer: We are committed to supporting pensioners – with millions set to see their yearly basic State Pension rise by around £1,500, or their new State Pension rise by around £1,900, over this parliament, through our commitment to the Triple Lock. Pension Credit ...
Answered 18 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Libraries: City of DurhamDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30232More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support public libraries in City of Durham constituency.
Answer: Public libraries are funded by local authorities and each local authority is responsible for assessing the needs of their local communities and designing a library service to meet those needs within available resources.The Public Libraries and Museums Act...
Answered 18 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic HolidaysDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30231More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make it his policy to establish additional public holidays to mark (a) St Andrew's Day, (b) St David's Day, (c) St George's Day and (d) St Patrick's Day.
Answer: The current pattern of bank and public holidays is well established and accepted. The Government has no plans to change it. Northern Ireland and Scotland have additional bank holidays for St Patrick’s Day and St Andrew’s Day respectively. While an additio...
Answered 19 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordTravel: Tax AllowancesTreasuryTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29477More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make it her policy to update Overseas Scale Rates in the upcoming Spring Forecast.
Answer: As with all taxes and allowances, the Government keeps flat rates expenses, including Overseas Scale Rates, under review. Any decisions on future changes in this area will be taken in the context of the wider public finances.
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordLeukaemia: North EastDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29476More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support people with leukaemia in (a) City of Durham constituency and (b) the North East.
Answer: The National Health Service is taking crucial steps to improve cancer outcomes for patients across England, including for leukaemia. We will improve cancer survival rates and hit all NHS cancer waiting time targets, so no patient waits longer than they sh...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordFuneralsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28689More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death Regulations 2024 in the context of reports of delays to funeral services.
Answer: The Government is monitoring the impact of the death certification reforms, including the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death Regulations 2024, which came into legal effect on 9 September 2024. The median time taken to register a death since the introdu...
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordDeath CertificatesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28688More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average time taken was to certify a death in (a) hospital and (b) the community in the period since changes were made to the death certification process in September 2024.
Answer: The Government is monitoring the impact of the death certification reforms, including the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death Regulations 2024, which came into legal effect on 9 September 2024. The median time taken to register a death since the introdu...
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordCounty Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust: Death CertificatesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28687More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether (a) he and (b) his Department has had discussions with County Durham and Darlington Foundation NHS Trust on delays to death certification.
Answer: The Government is monitoring the impact of the death certification reforms, which came into legal effect on 9 September 2024, but has not engaged with the County Durham and Darlington Foundation NHS Trust directly.The median time taken to register a death...
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPalestinians: Religious BuildingsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28660More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will hold discussions with his international counterparts on taking steps to protect places of worship in Palestine.
Answer: The UK has always been clear that a ceasefire is just the first step towards a lasting solution to this crisis. We remain focused on pushing for an end to the devastating violence in Gaza, protecting civilians, ensuring the release of all hostages and an ...
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordWest Bank: ViolenceForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28659More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of reports of alleged settler violence in the village of Umm al-Khair in the southern West Bank.
Answer: As the Prime Minister said in the House on 22 January, we are deeply concerned by events in the West Bank. We have raised this several times in exchanges that we have had with Israel at both ministerial and official level. It is in no one's interest for f...
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament record
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