Matt Bishop MP: written questions 2025
79 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Birds of Prey: Forest of DeanDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29212More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure the protection of birds of prey in the Forest of Dean.
Answer: While Defra has not implemented any protections specific to the Forest of Dean, all birds of prey are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It is an offence to kill or injure or take any wild bird; take, damage or destroy the nest of any ...
Answered 11 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordDefibrillatorsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29209More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of developing a national strategy to place defibrillators in high need areas.
Answer: The Government is committed to improving access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in in September 2023,...
Answered 17 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordEarned Income and State Retirement Pensions: TaxationTreasuryTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29131More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will take steps to ensure that (a) self-employed people and (b) employees are not subject to higher taxation on both their earnings and state pension.
Answer: At Autumn Budget 2024 we made no changes to the rates of income tax, which means employed and self-employed people will see no increase in the rate of income tax that apply to their earnings or state pension income.
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordShopliftingHome OfficeTabled 30 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27743More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help tackle retail crime.
Answer: In the last year of the previous government shoplifting soared to a twenty-year high, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers. We will not stand for this. Everybody has a right to feel safe on the job.This Government will...
Answered 7 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordFirearms: LicensingHome OfficeTabled 30 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27735More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if will make an assessment of the potential merits of a national firearms application process.
Answer: The Firearms Act 1968 gives responsibility for the issuing of firearms licences to Chief Officers of Police. Since November 2021, however, the Statutory Guidance issued by the Secretary of State requires forces to make certain checks on the suitability of...
Answered 7 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordEyesight: TestingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 27 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 26630More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the NHS sight test fee; and if he will take steps to increase that fee.
Answer: The level of the National Health Service sight test fee is considered annually and takes into account discussions with the Optical Fee Negotiating Committee, consideration of patient access to sight testing services, which continue to be widely available,...
Answered 4 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordShared Rural Network: Forest of DeanDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 27 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 26620More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what progress has been made on the rollout of the shared rural network in the Forest of Dean constituency.
Answer: There have already been improvements via the Shared Rural Network in the Forest of Dean since the programme began in 2020. I have raised my concerns about the reporting of mobile connectivity with Ofcom, but according to Ofcom’s Connected Nations reports,...
Answered 4 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordSchool Libraries: Primary EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 21 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25573More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding mechanisms she is considering to support primary schools in (a) installing and (b) maintaining library facilities.
Answer: I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Forest of Dean to the answer of 7 January 2025 to Question 21170.
Answered 29 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPupils: ReadingDepartment for EducationTabled 21 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25572More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage reading for pleasure by (a) primary and (b) secondary school pupils.
Answer: I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Forest of Dean to the answer of 16 December 2024 to Question 19139.
Answered 29 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPolice: Workplace PensionsHome OfficeTabled 21 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25571More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Police Federation's press release entitled Pensions update from the Police Federation of England and Wales, published on 3 December 2024, what steps her Department is taking to t
Answer: There are many differences between the 2015 CARE police pension scheme and the legacy police pension schemes, including the age at which benefits can normally be drawn. The main public service pension schemes – including the police pension schemes – were ...
Answered 29 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordAutomatic Number Plate Recognition: Rural AreasHome OfficeTabled 21 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25570More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to roll out automatic number plate recognition cameras in (a) Forest of Dean and (b) other rural constituencies.
Answer: The National ANPR infrastructure is governed by national standards which are available here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-anpr-standards. Prior to the deployment of ANPR cameras an assessment must identify a need, which could include...
Answered 29 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordShops: MusicDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25569More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle the impact of music in shops on people with sensory sensitivities.
Answer: The Equality Act 2010 places a duty on service providers to make reasonable adjustments to improve access to premises, buildings and services. This is so that disabled customers have the same access to goods and services and are not placed at a substantia...
Answered 27 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPostal Services: StandardsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 20 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25125More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure more (a) reliable and (b) timely delivery of first-class mail in rural areas.
Answer: The government is committed to a sustainable universal service for users throughout the UK, including those in remote and rural areas. It is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to set and monitor Royal Mail’s service standards and ...
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPostal Services: StandardsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 20 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25124More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to tackle (a) cases where first-class mail sent from (i) the Forest of Dean and (ii) other rural constituencies fails to arrive in a timely manner and (b) other dela
Answer: The government is committed to a sustainable universal service for users throughout the UK, including those in remote and rural areas. It is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to set and monitor Royal Mail’s service standards and ...
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordFractures: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24610More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact on acute hospital bed usage of universal access to Fracture Liaison Services.
Answer: The Government and NHS England support the clinical case for services which help to prevent fragility fractures and support the patients who sustain them. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is committed to rolling out Fra...
Answered 4 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordFractures: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24609More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact on health outcomes of universal access to Fracture Liaison Services.
Answer: The Government and NHS England support the clinical case for services which help to prevent fragility fractures and support the patients who sustain them. According to the Fracture Liaison Service Database 2022, at least 60 trusts in England had access to...
Answered 4 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordKinship Care: Special Educational NeedsDepartment for EducationTabled 16 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24608More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of SEND funding allocations on children in kinship care.
Answer: The department recognises the importance of children in kinship care getting the support they need to thrive in school. Where children have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), the department would expect them to receive appropriate support ...
Answered 30 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundDepartment for EducationTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24382More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to (a) renew the and (b) extend eligibility for kinship families to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund.
Answer: We will shortly be finalising business planning decisions on how we will allocate the department’s budget for the next financial year. All decisions regarding the adoption and special guardianship support fund are being made as part of these discussions.A...
Answered 24 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPupil PremiumDepartment for EducationTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24381More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending eligibility for Pupil Premium Plus to (a) children who have not been looked after and (b) other children in kinship care.
Answer: The department is providing over £2.9 billion of pupil premium funding in 2024/25 to improve the educational outcomes of disadvantaged pupils in England.The criteria for pupil premium eligibility are:Pupils who are recorded as eligible for free school mea...
Answered 23 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordHospitals: GloucestershireDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 14 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24077More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle (a) staffing shortages and (b) infrastructure problems in hospitals in Gloucestershire.
Answer: Information on local plans to tackle staff shortages is not collected centrally by the Department. National Health Service organisations are responsible for their own recruitment, and develop their own workforce plans based on service needs.At a national ...
Answered 20 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Houses: Rural AreasDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 13 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23687More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to protect pubs in (a) Forest of Dean constituency and (b) other rural communities.
Answer: Pubs and hospitality businesses, including those in rural areas and Forest of Dean, are at the heart of our communities and are vital for economic growth. That is why the Government is creating a fairer business rate system by introducing permanently lowe...
Answered 21 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordArthritis: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23686More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to (a) treatment and (b) support services for people with arthritis; and what steps he is taking to increase awareness of the condition.
Answer: Services for those with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, including arthritis, are commissioned locally by integrated care boards (ICBs). The Department expects MSK services to be fully incorporated into integrated care system planning and decision-making...
Answered 16 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: Chronic Illnesses and DisabilityDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22513More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that planned reforms to the disability benefit system ensure security and support for seriously ill and disabled people.
Answer: This government believes there is a strong case to change the system of health and disability benefits across Great Britain so that it better enables people to enter and remain in work, and to respond to the complex and fluctuating nature of the health co...
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordKinship CareDepartment for EducationTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22512More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the needs of children placed with kinship carers are fully assessed and supported especially in cases of (a) trauma and (b) disrupted care.
Answer: The government is determined to give every child the opportunities they deserve, and kinship carers play a crucial role in delivering this.In October 2024, the department published the new Kinship Care statutory guidance for local authorities, setting out...
Answered 15 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordMental Health Services: Rural AreasDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22511More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that mental health services in rural communities are adequately (a) staffed and (b) supported.
Answer: Waiting lists for those referred for support are too high including those in rural communities.People with mental health issues are not getting the support or care they deserve and need, which is why we will fix the system to ensure we give mental health ...
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament record
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