Michael Wheeler MP: written questions 2025
78 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Hydrogen: National GridDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 19 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39731More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department is taking steps to integrate hydrogen into the National Grid.
Answer: Blending low carbon hydrogen into the existing gas networks may have value, in certain circumstances, to support the early development of the hydrogen economy and the wider energy system. The Government remains committed to assessing the case for hydrogen...
Answered 2 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: ApplicationsHome OfficeTabled 18 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39230More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the average waiting time for asylum decisions; and what steps her Department is taking to reduce the average time.
Answer: The average time taken to process a substantive decision is not currently available from published data, and could only be collated and verified for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost.However, the Home Office does publish dat...
Answered 1 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordStatutory Sick PayDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38798More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the proportion of employees receiving Statutory Sick Pay whose period of sickness absence reaches (a) one, (b) four, (c) six, (d) eight, (e) sixteen and (f) twenty-eight
Answer: As Statutory Sick Pay is administered and paid by employers, this information is not held by government. Therefore, we are not able to make an assessment of the proportion of employees who are currently receiving Statutory Sick Pay for specific periods of...
Answered 25 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordADHD: Patient Choice SchemesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38797More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England on the (a) consultation on NHS Right to Choose ADHD changes and (b) use of feedback from that consultation.
Answer: Ministers will work with the new transformation team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to lead this transformation. As we work to return many of NHS England’s current functions to the Department, we will ensure that we continue to evaluate...
Answered 31 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordUnemployment: Worsley and EcclesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 12 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37834More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of young people out of work in Worsley and Eccles constituency.
Answer: The information requested is published and available at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp Guidance for users can be found at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp
Answered 26 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordResearch: Tax AllowancesTreasuryTabled 11 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37456More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to (a) reduce the time taken to (i) investigate and (ii) review research and development tax credit claims and (b) support small businesses to access tax relief schemes available
Answer: When HMRC receives an R&D relief claim, it goes through a risk assessment process. New additional information requirements mean HMRC can more accurately identify claims that may not be compliant and reduce the number of valid claims being picked for a...
Answered 25 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDental Services: Worsley and EcclesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36273More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase access to NHS dentistry in Worsley and Eccles constituency.
Answer: The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentist...
Answered 20 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordTravel Cards: Greater ManchesterDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35491More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department holds information on the cost of two zones (1+2) Manchester Metrolink adult annual travelcards in 2010.
Answer: Light rail, including the Manchester Metrolink, is devolved in England where local authorities, such as Greater Manchester Combined Authority, own and are responsible for the operations and financial sustainability of their own systems. This includes sett...
Answered 18 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: Greater ManchesterDepartment for TransportTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35098More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the cost of a standard-class annual rail season ticket from (a) Eccles, (b) Moorside, (c) Patricroft and (d) Swinton to (i) Deansgate, (ii) Manchester Oxford Road, (iii)
Answer: The price of standard class annual season tickets in 2010 for journeys from the requested stations to these Manchester stations was £741.50.
Answered 17 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordSmall Businesses: BillingDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34124More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department is taking steps to help small businesses respond to the payment of delayed invoices by larger businesses.
Answer: In September 2024 we announced a package of measures to help ensure small businesses are paid promptly by the large businesses they supply.This included the newly launched Fair Payment Code by the Small Business Commissioner, and upcoming legislation to r...
Answered 12 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordConstruction: BillingDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34123More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of delayed invoice payments on (a) self-employed individuals, (b) sole traders and (c) small businesses in the construction industr
Answer: Smart Data Foundry research shows that small businesses, including those in the construction industry were owed on average an estimated £22,000 in late payments in 2022. This represents a significant cash flow challenge for small businesses, undermining o...
Answered 12 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordMental Health Services: Children and Young PeopleDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33737More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have been waiting over six months to access CAMHS support in (a) Salford and (b) Wigan.
Answer: A copy of two tables breaking down the number of people waiting over six months to access Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service support in Salford and Wigan since 2020 is attached.
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordMental Health Services: Greater ManchesterDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 24 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33268More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many referrals have been accepted by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in (a) Salford and (b) Wigan in each of the last five years.
Answer: The following table shows the number of referrals accepted by child and adolescent mental health services in Salford in each month from 2020/21 up to December 2024, the month for which most recent data is available:Month2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/21...
Answered 10 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordPupils: Per Capita CostsDepartment for EducationTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32753More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average funding per pupil was in mainstream schools in (a) Worsley and Eccles constituency, (b) Salford (c) Wigan (d) the North West and (e) England in each of the last five years.
Answer: Local authorities receive their core funding for schools through the dedicated schools grant (DSG). Local authorities are then responsible for designing a local formula, within certain parameters, to distribute the funding that they receive from the depar...
Answered 7 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: AppealsMinistry of JusticeTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32706More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many parents or young people have taken (a) Salford and (b) Wigan to appeal at a tribunal against an Education, Care and Health Plan decision in each of the last five years; and what (i) number and (ii) propo
Answer: Information about appeal outcomes to SEND is published at: Tribunals statistics quarterly: July to September 2024 - GOV.UK. Appeal outcomes are not broken down by Local Authority in the published data as requested in this PQ. These data are provided for a...
Answered 7 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordMental Health Services: ChildrenDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32415More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average time was between (a) referral and (b) first contact for mental health services for people aged 17 years and under in (a) Salford and (b) Wigan in each of the last five years.
Answer: The following table shows the median waiting time in days between a referral start date and first contact, within the three-month rolling reporting period, for referrals for children and young people aged under 18 years old who are supported through Natio...
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordSpeech and Language Therapy: North WestDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32302More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many speech and language therapists have worked for the NHS in (a) Salford, (b) Wigan and (c) the North West in each of the last five years.
Answer: The following table shows the number of full-time equivalent speech and language therapists working in National Health Service trusts and other core organisations in Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospi...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordSure Start Programme: Greater ManchesterDepartment for EducationTabled 13 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 31695More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Sure Start centres have closed in (a) Salford and (b) Wigan since May 2010; and what the (i) name and (ii) postcode was of each centre.
Answer: Data on Sure Start children’s centres is supplied by local authorities via the department’s Get Information about Schools (GIAS) database portal, which can be accessed here: https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/.Based on information supplied...
Answered 27 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordCriminal Injuries Compensation Scheme: Greater ManchesterMinistry of JusticeTabled 12 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 31287More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average processing time was for applications to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme by people resident in (a) Salford and (b) Wigan in each of the last five years.
Answer: The majority of cases are decided within 12 months, although some more complicated cases can take significantly longer.The table below shows the average time for decisions to be made on applications* for criminal injuries compensation by people resident i...
Answered 26 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordMental Health Services: Greater ManchesterDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 11 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30842More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many mental health support teams there were in (a) Worsley and Eccles constituency, (b) Salford and (c) Wigan in each year since 2014.
Answer: The following table shows a summary of mental health support teams in (a) Worsley and Eccles constituency, Salford and Wigan in each year since 2014.Financial YearNumber of teams 2021/2022Two2022/2023Two2023/2024Three teams specific to Wigan and one footp...
Answered 25 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordCriminal Injuries Compensation: Greater ManchesterMinistry of JusticeTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30501More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (a) how many people received awards and (b) what the value of those awards were in (i) Salford and (ii) Wigan in each of the last five years.
Answer: The table below provides the number of compensation awards paid in each of the last five calendar years to applicants living in Salford, and the value of those awards.Salford Calendar YearNumber of awards paidTotal value of those awards202035£194,06020211...
Answered 25 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordGeneral Practitioners: Worsley and EcclesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29958More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many GP practices there (a) are and (b) were in 2010 in Worsley and Eccles constituency.
Answer: The data provided has been sourced from NHS England and shows the number of general practices (GPs) in the Worsley and Eccles constituency in January 2025 and January 2014, as no data is available prior to this. The data only includes main practices and d...
Answered 24 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordApprentices: Worsley and EcclesDepartment for EducationTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29750More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many apprenticeships have started in Worsley and Eccles constituency in each of the last six years.
Answer: Apprenticeship starts by Parliamentary constituency between the 2018/19 and 2023/24 academic years are published in the Apprenticeships statistics publication, which is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permal...
Answered 24 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordDriving Tests: Worsley and EcclesDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29248More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average waiting time for driving tests is in Worsley and Eccles constituency.
Answer: The table below shows the average waiting time as of January 2025, for driving test centres (DTCs) that serve the Worsley and Eccles constituency. DTCAverage Waiting Time (January 2025)Atherton19.8Bolton24Sale24Cheetham Hill24
Answered 24 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordLifelong Learning EntitlementDepartment for EducationTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28846More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) people enrolling on a second undergraduate degree course, (b) people enrolling on a five-year degree course and (c) other returning learners receive adequa
Answer: Under the Lifelong Learning Entitlement, new learners will be able to access a full entitlement equal to four years of full-time tuition. This is currently equal to £38,140 based on the fee rates for the 2025/26 academic year. Returning learners who have ...
Answered 24 Feb 2025
Original Parliament record
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