Oliver Dowden MP: written questions
332 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Israel: Foreign RelationsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 9 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 58241More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he last met the Israeli ambassador to the UK; and what he discussed.
Answer: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Ministers regularly engage with their Israeli counterparts to continue to urge for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and a full resumption of aid. I met with the Israeli ambassador to the UK on 20 May when ...
Answered 12 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordUNRWAForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 9 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 58240More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the United Nations on UNRWA neutrality.
Answer: The UK welcomes the active work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in implementing recommendations of the Colonna report. £1 million of the £41 million support for UNRWA in Financial Year 24/25 wa...
Answered 8 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordCrossbowsHome OfficeTabled 9 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 58239More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of adding wider information on offences involving crossbows in the Annual Data Requirement.
Answer: The responses to the call for evidence on the controls on crossbows have been reviewed and we will publish the Government’s response to this shortly.The Home Office collects a wide range of data from police forces in England and Wales under the Annual Dat...
Answered 17 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordCrossbowsHome OfficeTabled 9 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 58238More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department’s timetable is for publishing the response to the call for evidence entitled Controls on the use of crossbows on public safety grounds, which closed on 9 April 2024.
Answer: The responses to the call for evidence on the controls on crossbows have been reviewed and we will publish the Government’s response to this shortly.The Home Office collects a wide range of data from police forces in England and Wales under the Annual Dat...
Answered 17 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: ReorganisationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 58237More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether local plans will need to be updated following local government reorganisation.
Answer: Where reorganisation occurs, new unitary authorities are expected to promptly prepare a local development plan covering the whole of their area. Until that new plan is adopted, existing constituent local plans remain in force as part of the development pl...
Answered 17 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPlanning: Local GovernmentMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 58236More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her Department will formalise the role of representative community groups in local planning decisions.
Answer: A key objective of our planning reforms is to improve certainty and decision making in the planning system. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill includes provisions to that end, including a national scheme of delegation and requiring planning committee me...
Answered 17 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPlanning: Local GovernmentMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 58235More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions her Department has had with local authorities on consistency in local planning decisions.
Answer: A key objective of our planning reforms is to improve certainty and decision making in the planning system. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill includes provisions to that end, including a national scheme of delegation and requiring planning committee me...
Answered 17 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: Green BeltMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 58234More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the written statement entitled Building the Homes We Need, of 30 July 2024, HCWS48, what steps she has taken to ensure local authorities are reviewing their gre
Answer: The revised National Planning Policy Framework was published on 12 December 2024, following extensive consultation, including with local planning authorities.I otherwise refer the hon. Members to the answers given to questions UIN 26508 on 5 February 2025...
Answered 17 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordAffordable Housing: Green BeltMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 58233More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the written statement entitled Building the Homes We Need, of 30 July 2024, HCWS48, what steps she has taken to ensure that development on the green belt will o
Answer: Through the consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system last year, the government sought views on implementing ‘Golden Rules’ to ensure development in the Green Belt is in the public ...
Answered 17 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordHertsmere Borough Council: Green BeltMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 58232More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions her Department has had with Hertsmere Borough Council on protecting the green belt.
Answer: The revised National Planning Policy Framework was published on 12 December 2024, following extensive consultation, including with local planning authorities.I otherwise refer the hon. Members to the answers given to questions UIN 26508 on 5 February 2025...
Answered 17 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordHertsmere Borough Council: PlanningMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 58231More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions her Department has had with Hertsmere Borough Council on the application of the Golden Rules in local planning decisions.
Answer: The revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published on 12 December 2024 includes ‘Golden Rules’ for major development involving the provision of housing on land that is situated within, or released from, the Green Belt. The NPPF must be taken ...
Answered 24 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordHertsmere Borough Council: PlanningMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 58230More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions her Department has had with Hertsmere Borough Council on local planning decisions.
Answer: Officials from my Department have had recent discussions with Hertsmere Borough Council regarding the fact it did not meet the required performance threshold for decision-making quality during the assessment period from April 2022 to March 2024, including...
Answered 17 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPlanning: Local GovernmentMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 58229More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her Department will bring in further guidance on how local authorities can uphold the Golden Rules in local planning decisions.
Answer: The revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published on 12 December 2024 includes ‘Golden Rules’ for major development involving the provision of housing on land that is situated within, or released from, the Green Belt. The NPPF must be taken ...
Answered 24 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPlanning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 58228More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department plans to take if local authorities do not comply with the (a) Golden Rules and (b) revised NPPF in local planning decisions.
Answer: The revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published on 12 December 2024 includes ‘Golden Rules’ for major development involving the provision of housing on land that is situated within, or released from, the Green Belt. The NPPF must be taken ...
Answered 24 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPlanning: Local GovernmentMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 58227More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions her Department has had with local authorities on applying the Golden Rules in local planning decisions.
Answer: The revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published on 12 December 2024 includes ‘Golden Rules’ for major development involving the provision of housing on land that is situated within, or released from, the Green Belt. The NPPF must be taken ...
Answered 24 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPlanning: Local GovernmentMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 58226More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions her Department has had with local authorities on the revised NPPF.
Answer: MHCLG Ministers and officials engage regularly with local planning authorities to ensure the government’s priorities are understood.
Answered 17 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPlanning: Local GovernmentMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 58225More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of local authorities in upholding the Golden Rules under the revised NPPF.
Answer: The revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published on 12 December 2024 includes ‘Golden Rules’ for major development involving the provision of housing on land that is situated within, or released from, the Green Belt. The NPPF must be taken ...
Answered 24 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Media: HarassmentHome OfficeTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54861More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many arrests were made of for online malicious communications in Hertfordshire in 2024.
Answer: The requested data is not centrally held, and could only be collated for the purpose of answering these queries at disproportionate cost.
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordHertfordshire Constabulary: Social MediaHome OfficeTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54860More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff are dedicated solely to monitoring social media for malicious communications in Hertfordshire Constabulary.
Answer: The requested data is not centrally held, and could only be collated for the purpose of answering these queries at disproportionate cost.
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Media: HarassmentHome OfficeTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54859More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many arrests were made for online malicious communications in 2024.
Answer: The requested data is not centrally held, and could only be collated for the purpose of answering these queries at disproportionate cost.
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPolice: Social MediaHome OfficeTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54858More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the total cost was of police initiatives to monitor social media for malicious communications in the most recent period for which data is available.
Answer: The requested data is not centrally held, and could only be collated for the purpose of answering these queries at disproportionate cost.
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPolice: Social MediaHome OfficeTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54857More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of police staff are dedicated solely to monitoring social media.
Answer: The requested data is not centrally held, and could only be collated for the purpose of answering these queries at disproportionate cost.
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPolice: Social MediaHome OfficeTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54856More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of police forces have dedicated teams for monitoring social media for malicious communications.
Answer: The requested data is not centrally held, and could only be collated for the purpose of answering these queries at disproportionate cost.
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPolice: Social MediaHome OfficeTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54855More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of police staff regularly monitor social media for malicious communications.
Answer: The requested data is not centrally held, and could only be collated for the purpose of answering these queries at disproportionate cost.
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordEmployment SchemesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 13 May 2025AnsweredUIN 51868More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of lessons from (a) the JobsPlus and (b) other pilot programmes in informing the development of Local Get Britain Working plans.
Answer: The Jobs Plus pilot which began in summer 2024 is an exciting test of how housing and community-led employment support can help engage social housing communities. The first report, due this summer, will help us understand how Jobs Plus or similar models m...
Answered 19 May 2025
Original Parliament record
Published records only — not a full account of an MP’s work. How we work →