Matt Vickers MP: written questions
105 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Driving TestsDepartment for TransportTabled 12 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37720More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made on reducing driving test waiting times.
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. On the 18 December, DVSA set out further plans to reduce driving test waiting times a...
Answered 18 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordSchools: StormsDepartment for EducationTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29108More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support her Department is providing to (a) Egglescliffe School and (b) all schools damaged by Storm Éowyn.
Answer: Egglescliffe school is a member of the Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA) and as a result of significant damage to the school roof during storm Éowyn the RPA team are working closely with the school to reinstate the damaged areas. Initial works to waterpro...
Answered 20 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Inheritance TaxDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27576More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had meetings with commercial farm owners on proposed changes to inheritance tax relief.
Answer: I have visited farms across the country and met with a number of commercial farm owners since my appointment, and have discussed the inheritance tax relief with those who both support and oppose the changes.
Answered 2 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordChemicalsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 27 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 26595More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support the chemical sector.
Answer: The chemicals sector underpins almost all manufacturing in the UK and is fundamental to maximising growth and productivity across the economy to drive forward the government’s missions, including delivering growth for all. Reforms are underway to address ...
Answered 24 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 27 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 26593More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many commercial farms she has visited since announcing the changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief.
Answer: The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms.The Government, HM Treasury officia...
Answered 4 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordFood: WasteDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 14 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23898More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timetable is for introducing mandatory food waste reporting.
Answer: In our manifesto, the Government committed to reducing waste by moving to a circular economy. The Secretary of State has convened a Small Ministerial Group on Circular Economy and a Circular Economy Taskforce of experts across government, industry, academ...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordProperty Development: Solar Power and Heat PumpsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23493More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to encourage developers establishing new buildings to have (a) solar panels, (b) batteries and (c) heat pumps fitted; and what support is available to th
Answer: The Government is committed to ensuring that the 1.5 million homes we will build over the course of this parliament will be high quality, well designed and sustainable. Renewable and low carbon technologies, such as solar panels, batteries and heat pumps,...
Answered 21 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Transport: North EastDepartment for TransportTabled 19 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 902019More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding her Department is providing for public transport projects in the North East.
Answer: We announced a £200m uplift for City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements in 2025/26, in addition to the £310m and £563m already allocated to Tees Valley and North East Combined Authority respectively. We announced a further £31m for buses in the regi...
Answered 9 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordAviationDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20288More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to implement her Department’s policy paper entitled Future of Flight Action Plan, published on 18 March 2024.
Answer: The future aviation sector is central to delivering on the Government’s missions, including kickstarting economic growth and delivering opportunities for all across the country. My Department and I remain committed to delivering on the five future of flig...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordUnmanned Air SystemsDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20287More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to encourage the use of drone technology.
Answer: This government’s strategic vision is to maximise benefits of drone technology – for the economy and for communities – whilst ensuring their emergence is both safe and secure, and respecting the needs of local communities across the country.
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordFire and Rescue Services: Unmanned Air SystemsHome OfficeTabled 12 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19883More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to promote the wider adoption of drones by fire services.
Answer: Fire and Rescue Services have been early adopters of drones which can improve decision making, operational efficiency and reduce risk to firefighters. We work closely with the National Fire Chiefs Council which co-ordinates the use of Fire & Rescue Se...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordPolice: Unmanned Air SystemsHome OfficeTabled 12 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19882More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to promote the wider adoption of drones by police forces.
Answer: The decision to use drones and in which circumstances are operational matters for police forces who are subject to the requirements of the Air Navigation Order and Data Protection legislation when operating drones.Drone technology is developing at a rapid...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordBusiness: InvestmentDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 12 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19881More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to encourage business confidence.
Answer: Growth is the number one mission of the Government and we will continue to work with and listen carefully to the business community. In the Budget, the Government was forced to make difficult choices to plug the black hole in the Government’s finances, bu...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordHospitality Industry: Government AssistanceDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 12 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19880More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support the hospitality sector.
Answer: Hospitality businesses are at the heart of our communities and are vital for economic growth. This is why the Government is creating a fairer business rate system, reducing alcohol duty on qualifying draught products and transforming the apprenticeship le...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordBusiness RatesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 12 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19879More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on business rates.
Answer: We are creating a fairer business rates system that protects the high street, supports investment, and is fit for the 21st century. The Secretary of State works closely with all his cabinet colleagues, including the Chancellor of the Exchequer. To deliver...
Answered 20 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordBusiness: RegulationDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 12 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19878More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to reduce regulation for businesses.
Answer: The Government is determined to kick-start economic growth, which is why it is essential that we identify areas where the costs of regulations may be unnecessarily high and burdensome for businesses. This is why the Department is developing an ambitious r...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordMotor Vehicles: Manufacturing IndustriesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 12 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19877More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help safeguard jobs in the UK automotive supply chain.
Answer: The automotive industry is an important part of the Government’s plans for growth. Through our modern Industrial Strategy, we will support growth sectors to create high-quality, well-paid jobs across the country. The Budget committed over £2 billion of ca...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordPost Offices: ClosuresDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 12 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19875More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Post Office closures on local communities.
Answer: The UK Government is as committed as ever to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the Post Office network. It is inevitable that with a network of this size, there will be variations in the number of branches open at any one time. As postmasters move ...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Work and Pensions: TechnologyDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 11 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19421More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to use technology to improve its productivity.
Answer: As part of the Department’s ongoing transformation, we are increasing our use of automation, improving our underlying technology, and increasing the number of citizen self-service opportunities where it is appropriate to do so, meaning that, despite incre...
Answered 18 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordUnemployment: Young PeopleDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 11 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19420More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of trends in the level of youth unemployment since 2010.
Answer: Youth unemployment in 2010 was high following the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent recession. The unemployment rate for 16 to 24-year-olds for Jul-Sep 2024 is 14.8% (4.5 percentage points lower than in Jul-Sep 2010). In recent quarters the youth unemp...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordEmployment: WomenDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19074More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the level of women in employment since 2010.
Answer: The Government is committed to tackling the challenges women face in the labour market and takes seriously the challenges they face in balancing work with other life events. The Public Sector Equality Duty requires public authorities to consider impacts o...
Answered 17 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordPovertyTreasuryTabled 9 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18674More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Autumn Budget 2024 on levels of poverty.
Answer: The Government is developing an ambitious and comprehensive strategy to reduce child poverty. Autumn Budget 2024 announced measures to support households who face the greatest hardships. This support includes a new Fair Repayment Rate which caps deduction...
Answered 17 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordEmployment Rights BillDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 9 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18673More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on the employment rate.
Answer: The Secretary of State, and ministers, regularly meet with Cabinet and ministerial colleagues, regarding a range of matters. Our ambitions are to reverse the trend of inactivity, and to raise both productivity and living standards whilst improving the qua...
Answered 17 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordUnemploymentTreasuryTabled 9 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18672More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Autumn Budget 2024 on levels of unemployment.
Answer: The Office for Budget Responsibility’s October 2024 forecast, which takes into account measures announced in the Budget, expects the unemployment rate will fall to 4.1% next year and remain low until 2029.
Answered 16 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordPension CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 6 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18408More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Pension Credit awareness campaign.
Answer: Our campaign has seen DWP receive around 150,000 Pension Credit applications in the 16 weeks since the Winter Fuel Payment announcement compared to around 61,300 Pension Credit applications in the preceding 16 weeks. This represents a 145% increase in app...
Answered 17 Dec 2024
Original Parliament record
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