Olivia Blake MP: written questions 2025
83 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Landlords: LicensingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77693More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will consider introducing legislation allowing councils to introduce landlord licensing powers across whole cities, rather than selective schemes.
Answer: On 23 December 2024, a new General Approval for selective licensing came into force. This enables local authorities to introduce selective licensing schemes of any size without seeking approval from the Secretary of State. Under the previous 2015 General ...
Answered 17 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordWater Companies: IncentivesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77692More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to extend the ban on water company bonuses to cover payments from offshore companies.
Answer: This Government has been clear about our expectations - and those of the public - regarding unwarranted water company bonuses. Companies should be transparent over the entire remuneration package for executives, so Ofwat can robustly monitor and enforce a...
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCommunity Assets: Biodiversity and Environment ProtectionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77691More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to introduce a community right to buy for nature that would enable local communities to (a) purchase and (b) restore land for (i) environmental and (
Answer: The government is committed to ensuring that communities are able to protect all local assets that are important to them. The new community right to buy, which we are introducing through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, will give com...
Answered 13 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFootball: TaxationTreasuryTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77690More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a two per cent levy on Premier League player transfers costing more than £10 million.
Answer: The government is committed to ensuring the long-term health of English football at all levels. At this moment in time, the government is not considering a levy on football transfers. The government continues to keep options under review to help ensure th...
Answered 17 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: InvestmentMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77689More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will (a) make an assessment of the extent of and (b) take steps to help tackle barriers to local authorities practicing ethical divestment.
Answer: Local authorities are responsible for their own investments and accountable to their electorate. When making investment decisions, authorities must, however, ensure they comply with legislation and guidance intended to ensure that decisions are prudent, a...
Answered 13 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordMigrants: DetaineesHome OfficeTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77688More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's review of the adults at risk in immigration detention policy, whether she has considered the potential merits of including (a) lesbian, (b) bisexual and (c) gay peop
Answer: As part of the review of the adults at risk in immigration detention policy, I can confirm that officials have considered the merits of including lesbian, gay and bisexual people on the list of indicators of risk under the policy. In addition, written com...
Answered 17 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPostgraduate Education: LoansDepartment for EducationTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77687More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has any plans to increase the yearly income threshold for postgraduate student loans to above £21,000.
Answer: The postgraduate loans schemes were introduced to help remove the financial barrier faced by those wishing to step up to achieve a postgraduate level qualification. They are part of the long-term commitment to make the UK more globally competitive by in...
Answered 17 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCyclewaysDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77686More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking with local authorities to increase the number of dedicated cycle lines.
Answer: The Spending Review in June 2025 allocated £616 million for Active Travel England to support local authorities to build and maintain walking and cycling infrastructure from 2026/27 onwards, including dedicated cycling routes. This comes on top of £222.5 m...
Answered 14 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCycling and Pedestrians: SafetyDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77685More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of increasing the size of car bonnets on (a) pedestrian and (b) cyclist safety.
Answer: The Highway Code was updated in 2022 to include changes to improve safety for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders, including guidance on safe passing distances and speeds and the introduction of a hierarchy of road users. The Department ran a THINK! ca...
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCycling: SafetyDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77684More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department are taking to ensure drivers leave at least 1.5 metres of space when overtaking cyclists.
Answer: The Highway Code was updated in 2022 to include changes to improve safety for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders, including guidance on safe passing distances and speeds and the introduction of a hierarchy of road users. The Department ran a THINK! ca...
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCycling: SafetyDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77683More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure the safety of cyclists.
Answer: The Highway Code was updated in 2022 to include changes to improve safety for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders, including guidance on safe passing distances and speeds and the introduction of a hierarchy of road users. The Department ran a THINK! ca...
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordADHD: SheffieldDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77682More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps to reduce the waiting time for ADHD prescription under Sheffield Adult Autism and Neurodevelopmental Service.
Answer: The Government has recognised that, nationally, demand for assessments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays accessing such assessments.It is the responsi...
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPhysician AssistantsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77681More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure Physician Associates are supported to transition into new roles within the NHS on equal bands to their current roles.
Answer: The principal question of the Leng Review was to assess whether the roles of physician assistants (PAs) and physician assistants in anaesthesia, still legally known as physician associates and anaesthesia associates, are safe and effective. The review’s f...
Answered 13 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCoronavirus: VaccinationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77680More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of excluding unpaid carers from the covid-19 booster shot scheme.
Answer: The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).In its advice for autumn 2024, the JCVI advised that in the era of highly ...
Answered 13 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCoronavirus: VaccinationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77679More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the eligibility criteria for covid-19 boosters has changed for unpaid carers.
Answer: The Government’s policy on eligibility for vaccination programmes is based on advice from the independent scientific advisory committee, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). For autumn 2025, the JCVI advised that COVID-19 vaccinatio...
Answered 13 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPaternity PayDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77678More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to (a) increase statutory paternity pay and (b) extend the duration of protected paternity leave.
Answer: The standard rate of Statutory Pay, including Statutory Paternity Pay, is reviewed annually at the discretion of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. From April 2025, the rate increased from £184.03 to £187.18 per week. When considering calls to ...
Answered 17 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordLegal Aid SchemeMinistry of JusticeTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77677More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to increase legal aid rates.
Answer: We have confirmed we will be uplifting housing and immigration legal aid fees. Overall spending in these categories will increase by 24% for housing work and 30% for immigration work. This represents a significant investment – the first since 1996 – resul...
Answered 14 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: Military BasesHome OfficeTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77676More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether (a) asylum seeking families, (b) asylum seeking unaccompanied minors and (c) all types of asylum seekers would be eligible for transfer from asylum hotels to military barracks.
Answer: The Home Office is firmly committed to ensuring that destitute asylum seekers are provided with safe, secure, and appropriate accommodation, and that they are treated with dignity throughout the asylum process.Any requests to be accommodated in a particul...
Answered 17 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HousingHome OfficeTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77675More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's Statement of 1 September 2025 on Borders and Asylum, Official Report, col 26, what steps she plans to take to tighten the test for asylum accommodation.
Answer: We are reviewing our processes, policies and legislation to ensure that only those who need support receive it. We will set out reforms to the asylum system later this year in the Asylum Policy statement.
Answered 17 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordTrade Agreements: IndiaDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 23 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61949More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether it is his Department's policy to seek an investor-state dispute chapter during negotiations on a bilateral investment treaty with India.
Answer: The UK withdrew from the Energy Charter Treaty on 27 April 2025. Ten other Energy Charter Treaty Contracting Parties have withdrawn, or are withdrawing from the Energy Charter Treaty.The UK Government is committed to delivering its Growth and Clean Energy...
Answered 1 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy Charter TreatyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 23 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61948More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment his Department has made of the (a) feasibility and (b) effectiveness of a prospective agreement between the UK and other parties withdrawing from the Energy Charter Tre
Answer: The UK withdrew from the Energy Charter Treaty on 27 April 2025. Ten other Energy Charter Treaty Contracting Parties have withdrawn, or are withdrawing from the Energy Charter Treaty.The UK Government is committed to delivering its Growth and Clean Energy...
Answered 1 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy Charter TreatyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 23 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61947More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterparts in countries that plan to withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty on the potential merits of entering into an agreement with each o
Answer: The UK withdrew from the Energy Charter Treaty on 27 April 2025. Ten other Energy Charter Treaty Contracting Parties have withdrawn, or are withdrawing from the Energy Charter Treaty.The UK Government is committed to delivering its Growth and Clean Energy...
Answered 1 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy Charter TreatyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 23 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61946More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment he made of the potential impact of the Energy Charter Treaty's sunset clause on fossil fuel assets on the financial risk of legal challenges to the UK.
Answer: The UK withdrew from the Energy Charter Treaty on 27 April 2025. Ten other Energy Charter Treaty Contracting Parties have withdrawn, or are withdrawing from the Energy Charter Treaty.The UK Government is committed to delivering its Growth and Clean Energy...
Answered 1 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordClimate ChangeDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 4 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57415More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to tackle global climate change.
Answer: The Government is committed to tackling climate change at home and abroad. At COP29, the Prime Minister committed to reduce the UK’s emissions by at least 81% by 2035, compared to 1990 levels. Working internationally is key to accelerating the clean energ...
Answered 11 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordBusiness: WomenTreasuryTabled 2 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 56389More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what meetings she has had with (a) SMEs and (b) other businesses on understanding the proposed EHRC Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions, and Associations.
Answer: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisa...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament record
Published records only — not a full account of an MP’s work. How we work →