Patricia Ferguson MP: written questions 2025
70 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Warm Homes PlanDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99049More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that households impacted by measures in the ECO4 scheme will be impacted by the Warm Homes Plan.
Answer: The Government will ensure that lessons learned from the current ECO4 and Great British Insulation Scheme are taken forward through delivery of the Warm Homes Plan.
Answered 19 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordWarm Homes PlanDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99048More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what measures will be included in the Warm Homes Plan to ensure compliance with relevant standards and regulations.
Answer: The government has made clear that it is committed to reform of the consumer protection system and, through the Warm Homes Plan, we will outline our offer for households to confidently and safely take up measures like solar panels, heat pumps, home batter...
Answered 19 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy: HousingDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99047More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether transitional support will be provided to energy efficiency installation and associated businesses.
Answer: The government consulted on an extension to ECO4 earlier this year. DESNZ Ministers have now agreed to a 9-month extension to end December 2026; however, this is subject to cross-government and Parliamentary approval. An extension would support the remedi...
Answered 19 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordWarm Homes PlanDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99046More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Warm Homes Plan will provide energy efficiency measures to vulnerable households previously provided under the ECO4 scheme.
Answer: The extra £1.5 billion allocated to the Warm Homes Plan through the budget will be spent on low income households. Details on allocation will be set out in the Warm Homes Plan.
Answered 19 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordWarm Homes PlanDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99045More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure continuity between ECO4 funding and Warm Homes Plan measures in the case of ongoing works over the transition period.
Answer: The government consulted on an extension to ECO4 earlier this year. DESNZ Ministers have now agreed to a 9-month extension to end December 2026; however, this is subject to cross-government and Parliamentary approval. An extension would support the remedi...
Answered 19 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordWarm Homes PlanDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99044More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has plans to align the commencement of measures in the Warm Homes Plan with the cessation of ECO4 funding.
Answer: The Warm Homes Plan represents the biggest ever public investment in home upgrades. At the Autumn Budget on 26th November, the Chancellor announced an additional £1.5 billion of funding for the Warm Homes Plan, bringing total capital investment to almost ...
Answered 19 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordWarm Homes PlanDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99043More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when his Department plans to publish the Warm Homes Plan in full.
Answer: The Government is working across departments on a comprehensive Warm Homes Plan to cut energy bills, strengthen energy security and reduce emissions. The Plan will accelerate the installation of efficient technologies such as heat pumps, heat networks, so...
Answered 19 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordGaza: Human RightsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 8 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98017More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the UN has submitted a request to allow forensic investigations to be carried out in Gaza in connection with alleged human rights abuses.
Answer: The Foreign Secretary has spoken directly to her Israeli counterparts about reports of human rights abuses in Gaza, and has urged them to facilitate access for impartial organisations to be able to conduct independent investigations into all allegations, ...
Answered 16 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordGaza: Human RightsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 8 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98016More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has requested that Israel allows forensic investigations to be carried out in Gaza regarding alleged human rights abuses.
Answer: The Foreign Secretary has spoken directly to her Israeli counterparts about reports of human rights abuses in Gaza, and has urged them to facilitate access for impartial organisations to be able to conduct independent investigations into all allegations, ...
Answered 16 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordDriving TestsDepartment for TransportTabled 24 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93848More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when MOD driving instructors will be deployed to driving test centres across the UK.
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has accepted the resource of Defence Driving Examiners (DDEs), to be based at the driving test centres with the highest demand near their MOD base or home location. Before DDEs can start testing they will req...
Answered 27 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordDarfur: Armed ConflictForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 3 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 87540More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help provide (a) atrocity prevention and (b) civilian protection support in El Fasher, Darfur.
Answer: I refer the Hon. Member to the response provided to the Urgent Question on Sudan: Protection of Civilians on 30 October.
Answered 11 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Work and Pensions: CorrespondenceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86067More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what priority his Department gives to responding to MPs' enquiries.
Answer: The Department treats enquiries from Members of Parliament as a high priority and has issued clear guidance to staff members.We are committed to improving response times and have taken a number of steps, such as deploying additional resource, to improve t...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security BenefitsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86066More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to reduce the potential impact of the time taken for his Department to make decisions on the finances of applicants.
Answer: The department endeavours to process new claims for benefits and changes of circumstances as quickly as possible after customers have provided all relevant information and evidence relating to their claim.
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Work and Pensions: CorrespondenceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86065More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to reduce the length of time taken by his Department to resolve MPs' enquiries.
Answer: The Department treats enquiries from Members of Parliament as a high priority and has issued clear guidance to staff members.We are committed to improving response times and have taken a number of steps, such as deploying additional resource, to improve t...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Work and Pensions: CorrespondenceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86064More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time taken was for his Department to resolve MPs' enquiries in the last year.
Answer: The Department treats enquiries from Members of Parliament as a high priority and has issued clear guidance to staff members.We are committed to improving response times and have taken a number of steps, such as deploying additional resource, to improve t...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Work and Pensions: CorrespondenceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86063More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to monitor the (a) number of, (b) time taken to respond to and (c) urgency of MPs' enquiries to his Department.
Answer: The Department treats enquiries from Members of Parliament as a high priority and has issued clear guidance to staff members.We are committed to improving response times and have taken a number of steps, such as deploying additional resource, to improve t...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Work and Pensions: CorrespondenceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86062More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has issued guidance to staff on the timeframe in which they should respond to MP enquiries.
Answer: The Department treats enquiries from Members of Parliament as a high priority and has issued clear guidance to staff members.We are committed to improving response times and have taken a number of steps, such as deploying additional resource, to improve t...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAccess to Work ProgrammeDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86061More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress his Department has made on reducing the time taken for Access to Work applications to be allocated to a case manager.
Answer: As set out in the Green Paper, we are reforming Access to Work to improve the scheme so that it helps more disabled people into and on in work. We are committed to reducing waiting times for claims to the Access to Work Scheme. We also prioritise customer...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordType 26 Frigates: NorwayScotland OfficeTabled 14 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 905889More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the the potential impact of the contract to supply Norway with Type 26 frigates on Scotland's economy.
Answer: This is the biggest British warship export deal in history and is a huge vote of confidence in the strength of our defence industry and in Scotland’s shipbuilding capability. This strategic partnership with Norway will sustain more than 4,000 jobs, of whi...
Answered 27 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordDriving Tests: ScotlandDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80188More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many car practical driving test appointments were available in (a) October, (b) November and (c) December 2025 in (i) Scotland and (ii) Glasgow.
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. As of 6 October in Scotland, there were 7,565 car practical driving tests booked and ...
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordDriving Tests: ScotlandDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80187More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average waiting time for a car practical driving test in Scotland was on 1 October 2025.
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. As of 6 October in Scotland, there were 7,565 car practical driving tests booked and ...
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordDriving TestsDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80186More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is taking steps to discourage people from using third-party platforms to book Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency driving tests.
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. As of 6 October in Scotland, there were 7,565 car practical driving tests booked and ...
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPensions: Advisory ServicesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80185More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of adjusting in line with inflation the £30,000 threshold over which advice must be sought before a pension is transferred.
Answer: The Government is committed to ensuring that pension savers receive clear and essential information, and that pension transfers are conducted on an informed basis. To support this principle, individuals with pensions that include a guarantee remain requir...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordDemolition: EquipmentDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 72946More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has considered the potential merits of ending the export of demolition equipment to Israel.
Answer: Exports to Israel of demolition equipment that is specifically designed or modified for military use are subject to export controls.Such controlled exports fall under the scope of the decision announced in September 2024 to suspend export licences for mil...
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordLump Sum Payments: Tax AllowancesTreasuryTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 72905More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to change the proportion of pensioners' tax-free lump sums that are exempt from tax.
Answer: The Government wishes to encourage pension saving to help ensure that people have funds to draw on throughout retirement. Up to 25 per cent of an individual’s pension can be taken-tax free, subject to a cap of £268,275 for most. Although the Government ke...
Answered 9 Sept 2025
Original Parliament record
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