Neil O'Brien MP: written questions
864 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero: EqualityDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45820More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many staff have job titles that include the words (a) equality, (b) diversity, (c) inclusion, (d) gender, (e) LGBT and (f) race in the (i) Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, (ii) Civil Nu
Answer: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority have 4 roles that include "diversity and inclusion" as their job title’ The CNC have 5 roles with the acronym EDI in the job title (Equality Diversity and Inclusion). The UKAEA manages Equality, Diversity an...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Energy Security and Net Zero: EqualityDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45819More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many staff in his Department have job titles that include the words (a) equality, (b) diversity, (c) inclusion, (d) gender, (e) LGBT and (f) race.
Answer: The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has fewer than five staff with job titles that include the words equality, diversity, inclusion gender, LGBT or race. These roles play an important part in the Department’s commitment to supporting equality,...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordHome Office: EqualityHome OfficeTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45818More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff in her Department have job titles that include the words (a) equality, (b) diversity, (c) inclusion, (d) gender, (e) LGBT and (f) race.
Answer: I refer the Honourable Member to the answer he was given by my predecessor on 4 March 2024 in response to the same question (PQ UIN 15470).
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Business and Trade: EqualityDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45817More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many staff in his Department have job titles that include the words (a) equality, (b) diversity, (c) inclusion, (d) gender, (e) LGBT and (f) race.
Answer: In DBT, we do not have any roles in HR or Corporate Services with job titles which include the words ‘equality’, ‘diversity’, ‘inclusion’, ‘gender’, ‘LGBT’ or ‘race’. Within our Trade Policy, Implementation and Negotiations Group (TPIN), we have 8 roles w...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordChurches: AttendanceChurch CommissionersTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45816More
Question: To ask the Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what the weekly attendance was for (a) children, (b) adults and (c) all ages for (i) weekly, (ii) Sunday and (iii) school services in each year since 2003.
Answer: An excel spreadsheet is attached that gives weekly attendance for (a) children, (b) adults, and (c) all ages, for (i) weekly, (ii) Sunday and (iii) school services in each year since 2003.The 2024 figures are preliminary and may change as further informat...
Answered 9 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: AnniversariesDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45815More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to mark the 200th anniversary of the Rainhill trials.
Answer: Whilst it doesn't form part of the bi-centenary celebrations, the Railway 200 team in Network Rail are working with local stakeholders to support their plans to mark the 2029 anniversary of the Rainhill Trials.
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordChildcare: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44537More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of how many (a) weeks in the year and (b) hours each week recipients of the school-based nursery capital grant will be open.
Answer: The school-based nursery capital grant is capital funding awarded to schools to repurpose spare space in school buildings for the purpose of creating, or expanding, nursery provision.All schools, including those in receipt of the school-based nursery capi...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordChildcare: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44536More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what methodology her Department used to assess bid applications for the school-based nursery capital grant.
Answer: Bid applications for the school-based nursery capital grant were assessed on four key criteria: project overview and value for money, local need for childcare, approach to early years education and management of provision.
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordOfsted: ExpenditureDepartment for EducationTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43540More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much was spent in (a) cash and (b) real terms on Ofsted in each year since 1995.
Answer: This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordGP SurgeriesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43159More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) general practices and (b) GP premises there were in each integrated care board area in each month since June 2024.
Answer: A table showing the number of general practices and premises in each current integrated care board (ICB) area in England, each month since June 2024, is attached.Opening and closing dates for both practices and branches were identified using data from the...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordChristianity: Religious PracticeChurch CommissionersTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42855More
Question: To ask the Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, how many confirmations there were in each year since 1994.
Answer: Data for 2024 is still being analysed and is not yet available for publication.YearNumber of confirmations199448,024199543,667199642,768199740,881199839,926199937,469200036,387200133,367200233,425200331,797200430,425200529,833200629,380200727,926200826,97...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordOfsted: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41923More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding was allocated to Ofsted in (a) cash and (b) real terms in each year since 1995.
Answer: This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Answered 4 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEmployment and Support Allowance: Habitual Residence TestDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 24 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40568More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the total cost to the public purse of Employment and Support Allowance payments to households containing at least one claimant that passed a habitual residence test in ea
Answer: The Department has no current plans to make such an estimate.
Answered 27 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: Habitual Residence TestDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 24 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40567More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the total cost to the public purse of universal credit payments to households containing at least one claimant with a non-Common Travel Area nationality that passed a hab
Answer: The Department has no current plans to make such an estimate.
Answered 27 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHabitual Residence TestDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 24 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40566More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of (a) personal independence payments and (b) disability living allowance payments to households containing at least one claimant that passed
Answer: The Department has no current plans to make such an estimate.
Answered 27 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: Habitual Residence TestDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 24 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40565More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the total cost to the public purse of universal credit payments to households containing at least one claimant that passed a habitual residence test in each year since 20
Answer: The Department has no current plans to make such an estimate.
Answered 27 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: RefugeesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 24 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40564More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the total cost to the public purse of universal credit payments to households where (a) one and (b) both claimants are refugees in each quarter since 2017.
Answer: The Department has no current plans to make such an estimate. However, the Department is exploring the feasibility of developing suitable official statistics related to the immigration status of non-UK / Irish Universal Credit customers.
Answered 27 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHigher Education: StandardsDepartment for EducationTabled 20 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39962More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which higher education institutions have been made subject by the Office for Students to (a) enhanced monitoring, (b) investigation, (c) a quality assessment report and (d) other quality related interventions;
Answer: The Office for Students (OfS) is the non-departmental public body responsible for higher education in England. It is independent of government.In 2022/23, the OfS opened investigations into the quality of business and management courses at eight providers...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordSchools: StaffDepartment for EducationTabled 14 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38378More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much and what proportion of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools' expenditure was on staff in each of the last three years.
Answer: Overall core revenue funding for schools totals almost £61.6 billion for the 2024/25 financial year. At the Autumn Budget 2024, the government announced an additional £2.3 billion for mainstream schools and young people with high needs for the 2025/26 fin...
Answered 19 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDoctors: TrainingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 11 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37269More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of people starting an (a) F1 and (b) F2 placement were international medical graduates in each deanery in each year since 2015.
Answer: The attached table contains information published by the General Medical Council (GMC) on the place of qualification of all foundation programme doctors by their region. The tables cover the period since 2012 and illustrate the increase in international r...
Answered 27 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordVATTreasuryTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36130More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the compatibility of changes to VAT legislation with the principal of fiscal neutrality.
Answer: Fiscal neutrality is a key feature of the VAT system, and helps to ensure market distortions are minimised by equalising the tax treatment of supplies which are identical or sufficiently similar from the point of view of the consumer. When changing VAT le...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: VATTreasuryTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36129More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how private schools who were not previously VAT-registered but did produce taxable supplies that were under the registration threshold will be treated under the new VAT guidance.
Answer: A private school, or any other business, making taxable supplies under the threshold has no requirement to register for VAT. Once the value of taxable supplies made exceeds the VAT registration threshold, which currently stands at £90,000, they must regis...
Answered 14 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordBusiness: TaxationTreasuryTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36128More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the new VAT legislation for private schools led to HMRC amending or redefining the scope of input tax recovery for business who made exempt supplies prior to registration.
Answer: VAT incurred prior to registration is not input tax. However, HMRC has discretion under the provisions of Regulation 111 of the VAT Regulations 1995 (SI 1995/2518) to allow such VAT to be treated as input tax, subject to the normal rules. There was theref...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: VATTreasuryTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36127More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether independent schools under the new interpretation of VAT entities following the Autumn Budget 2024 are their own class of business.
Answer: Taxpayers who are required to register for VAT can usually do so online. The ‘Business activity’ section of the VAT registration form requires a full description of all the taxpayer’s business activities, including the type of goods and/or services that t...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordVATTreasuryTabled 6 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36126More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason the publication of new VAT guidance in October 2024 was following the Budget.
Answer: Since 1 January 2025, all education services and vocational training provided by private schools in the UK for a charge have been subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20 per cent. Since the announcement of this policy, HMRC has taken action to support p...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament record
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