Patrick Spencer MP: written questions

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to improve cooperation between police forces in tackling offences in rural areas affecting farms and agricultural businesses.

Answer: No published answer in this record yet.

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government's proposed technical education pathways will require changes to the funding available for post-16 transport in rural areas such as Suffolk.

Answer: No published answer in this record yet.

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding she intends to make available for the recruitment and training of specialist staff required to deliver technical education pathways from September 2028.

Answer: No published answer in this record yet.

Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of increasing the minimum weighting for social value in public contracts worth £5 million or more from 10 per cent to 20 per cent on the ability of small and m

Answer: The Government is committed to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises across the country, including in rural areas and its social value policy is designed to take into account the excellent contribution small businesses make to economic growth. The...

Answered 25 Sept 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of whether sentences for theft of agricultural machinery and equipment adequately reflect the economic impact of such offences on farming businesses.

Answer: The Government recognises the significant impact that theft of agricultural machinery and equipment can have on farming businesses and rural communities. These offences can result in substantial financial loss, disruption to business operations and wider ...

Answered 18 Sept 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the extent to which organised criminal groups are responsible for rural crime affecting farms and agricultural businesses.

Answer: Rural crime is not recorded as a distinct category within police recorded crime and it is therefore not possible to produce a single, centrally verified assessment of the extent to which organised criminal groups are responsible for rural crime affecting ...

Answered 15 Sept 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of incentives for recruiting and retaining GPs and other healthcare professionals in rural areas such as Suffolk.

Answer: We recognise the particular challenges rural communities can face in accessing general practices (GPs), including longer travel times and workforce pressures. We are taking action to improve access across England, including in rural areas such as Suffolk....

Answered 18 Sept 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the abstraction licensing regime in providing protection for water resources during periods of prolonged drought in water-stressed areas

Answer: The Environment Agency protects rivers and groundwater through abstraction licence conditions and restrictions. The Government is improving resilience.

Answered 17 Sept 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of national resilience arrangements in enabling Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service to maintain fire cover in Central Suffolk and North I

Answer: Fire and Rescue Authorities are responsible for assessing and planning for wildfire risk locally through their Community Risk Management Plans and work with other responders to ensure appropriate preparedness. National resilience arrangements provide addi...

Answered 23 Sept 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what evidence her Department has considered on whether proposed technical education pathways for pupils from the age of 14 will improve pupil outcomes compared with existing Key Stage 4 technical provision.

Answer: No published answer in this record yet.

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with Essex and Suffolk Water about the resilience of water supplies in Suffolk following the introduction of a temporary use ban in August 2026.

Answer: It is the responsibility of water companies to determine when and how Temporary Use Bans (TUBs) are implemented. The Environment Agency meets with the water company weekly to discuss water resources and drought actions. It provides monthly drought prospec...

Answered 16 Sept 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to amend the funding formula for capital funding for local highways authorities.

Answer: The Government plans to review the funding formula that it uses to distribute capital funding to local highways authorities to see whether it can be adjusted to consider, for example, the conditions that affect the wear and tear of local roads.Highways ma...

Answered 11 Sept 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of whether Suffolk will have sufficient specialist school places to meet the needs of pupils who are unable to have their needs met through the Government's proposed more inclusive

Answer: No published answer in this record yet.

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of whether existing compensation arrangements adequately reflect the impact of the proposed Norwich to Tilbury electricity transmission project on the

Answer: The government does not agree compensation for individual landowners or businesses affected by the proposed Norwich to Tilbury project. This is a matter for the transmission owner, National Grid, and the landowners or businesses concerned. Where acquisiti...

Answered 17 Sept 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to provide additional funding to local authorities in Suffolk to meet expenditure incurred in preparing for the implementation of local government re

Answer: As set out by the Secretary of State in her oral statement of 7 September, the government has withdrawn the March 2026 decisions for Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, and paused decisions for the other 14 areas while a full review of the local govern...

Answered 15 Sept 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how proposed technical education pathways for pupils from the age of 14 differ from technical education available to pupils through existing Key Stage 4 qualifications.

Answer: No published answer in this record yet.

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2026 to Question 13402 on Flood Control: Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, what is the Department's definition of benefit-to-cost ratios and what are

Answer: For FCERM projects, the use of benefit-cost ratio calculation is outlined in the Government's Flood and coastal erosion risk management funding policy. Further explanation to ensure consistent application is then provided to practitioners in the Environme...

Answered 15 Sept 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Department plans to make any further major capital commitments before 2030.

Answer: The Department remains committed to delivering against our existing capital portfolio. This will be reviewed and updated at future Spending Reviews in the normal way. As per the normal course of business, as key projects progress through Business Case dev...

Answered 10 Sept 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Department have considered introducing a Northern Bypass around Ipswich.

Answer: The Ipswich Northern Bypass was a scheme developed by Suffolk County Council, who are the Local Transport Authority for this region. A decision was taken locally by Suffolk County Council to withdraw the scheme back in 2020. Suffolk County Council did not...

Answered 16 Sept 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 25 June 2026 to question 11989, if she will provide further information relating to plans to review the funding formula for capital funding to local highways authorities; when the revi

Answer: Highways maintenance block allocations have been made up to and including financial year 2029/30.The Department has not yet set a date for the review. It will be important to ensure that the review takes place close to the point that allocations for 2030/...

Answered 30 Jun 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what Natural Flood Management projects are currently funded by the Environment Agency within Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency; what their total value is; and what evidenc

Answer: The Anglian Eastern Regional Flood Coastal Committee has a Local Levy funding stream for Risk Management Authorities to support delivery of Natural Flood Management (NFM) projects. Successfully funded projects within the constituency include:Parham NFM £6...

Answered 2 Jul 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what proportion of the capacity required to meet the 47GW solar target by 2030 will come from (a) rooftop installations, (b) brownfield and previously developed land and (c) greenfield develo

Answer: The Government has not set discrete targets for rooftop and ground-mounted solar by 2030. However, modelling suggests that, even in the most ambitious scenarios, only up to 0.4% of UK land (0.6% of agricultural land) would be devoted to solar in 2030. Pla...

Answered 3 Jul 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the new flood funding policy will change the Government Outcome Rate threshold that schemes in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency must meet to qualify for Environme

Answer: In October 2025, following consultation, the government announced major changes to its flood and coastal erosion funding policy. The reforms will make it quicker and easier to deliver the right flood defences in the right places by simplifying our funding...

Answered 30 Jun 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the highways maintenance block formula on rural counties such as Suffolk.

Answer: Every area faces its own unique challenges. That is why highways maintenance funding is based on established national datasets like road lengths, to help make the system as fair as possible across the country.The Government plans to review the funding for...

Answered 25 Jun 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what process will determine the final geographic boundaries of the three new unitary authorities in Suffolk; who will conduct that process; and what the timetable is for its comp

Answer: The final geographic boundaries of the three new unitary authorities in Suffolk have been decided by the Secretary of State who has announced that he will exercise his power to modify the base proposal received from West Suffolk, Babergh, Mid Suffolk, Eas...

Answered 29 Jun 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether independent Agricultural Land Classification surveys conducted by a qualified soil scientist are a mandatory requirement before solar farm applications on potential BMV land are deter

Answer: Agricultural Land Classification surveys are typically conducted using existing site survey reports, where available. Where this isn’t the case, the developer commissions a new survey, which should be conducted by soil scientists, or experienced soil spec...

Answered 30 Jun 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which flood defence schemes are included in the capital programme for flood and coastal erosion risk management in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency for 2026-2036; and wha

Answer: This Government is investing at least £10.5 billion until 2036 to construct new flood schemes and repair existing defences, protecting communities from the devastating impacts of climate change. Through the largest flood programme in history, this record ...

Answered 26 Jun 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria local highway authorities must meet to access the 25% incentive element of the additional highways maintenance funding announced in the Autumn Budget 2024; and when those criteria will be communic

Answer: To access the 25% incentive element of the £500m additional highways maintenance funding for 2025 to 2026 announced in the Autumn Budget 2024, local highway authorities were required to publish a report demonstrating how they comply with best practice in ...

Answered 23 Jun 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether an independent assessment was made of the projected savings from three unitary authorities in Suffolk compared with the single-authority model proposed by Suffolk County

Answer: All proposals were considered carefully on a case-by-case basis against the six criteria set out in the statutory invitation, alongside consultation responses, representations received and all other relevant information. Decisions were taken in the round,...

Answered 24 Jun 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what guidance his Department issues to planning inspectors on the weighting to be given to Best and Most Versatile (BMV) agricultural land when determining solar farm appeals; and whether he

Answer: Appeals against planning refusal are decided in accordance with the applicable planning policies – in most cases, these are the National Planning Policy Framework and the Planning Practice Guidance. These state that, wherever possible, developers should u...

Answered 26 Jun 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the closure of applications for SFI agreements on farm businesses that had not entered one; and what bridging support is availab

Answer: The Government has allocated a record £11.8bn to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament. This is being invested in a range of grants and schemes to support farmers, including the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), Countryside Stewa...

Answered 25 Jun 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the highways maintenance block funding allocation was for Suffolk County Council in (a) 2022-23, (b) 2023-24, (c) 2024-25 and (d) 2025-26; and what proportion of each year's allocation was ringfenced for p

Answer: The Department’s total annual highways maintenance funding allocation to Suffolk County Council between 2022-23 and 2025-26 is show in the table below: 2022 to 2023 (£m)2023 to 2024 (£m)2024 to 2025 (£m)2025 to 2026 (£m)27.235.530.743.8 The funding is pai...

Answered 23 Jun 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what transitional funding will be made available to shadow unitary authorities in Suffolk between elections in May 2027 and vesting day in April 2028; and how that figure was cal

Answer: The Government announced £63 million in additional capacity funding to support local authorities in areas undergoing local government reorganisation, with each new unitary authority receiving at least £900,000. This means that, across the three new unitar...

Answered 22 Jun 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what area of Grade 1, 2 and 3a agricultural land in Suffolk has been used for ground-mounted solar development since 2019; and if he will take steps to ensure future solar consents in that co

Answer: Data on the area of land occupied by solar projects is contained in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (REPD). The Government does not currently categorise the data based on agricultural land type. However, work is underway to expand the REPD to inclu...

Answered 24 Jun 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many farm businesses in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency held a live Sustainable Farming Incentive agreement as of 11 March 2025; and what the average annual payment

Answer: As of 11 March 2025, there were 147 farm businesses in the Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency holding a live Sustainable Farming Incentive agreement. The average annual payment value per agreement in that constituency was £27,431.

Answered 23 Jun 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average pothole funding per mile of road is in each local authority.

Answer: A full explanation of how highways maintenance funding is allocated is available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/highways-maintenance-funding-allocations. Local highway authorities can choose to spend Highways Maintenance Block fundi...

Answered 24 Mar 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an estimate of pothole a) reports and b) repairs per capita in i) urban and ii) rural local authorities in the last 12 months.

Answer: The Department for Transport does not hold data on the number of pothole reports made to local authorities. Under section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, local highway authorities are responsible for the condition of their local road networks, including resp...

Answered 16 Mar 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of local highways maintenance funding allocated by her Department has been received by predominantly rural local authorities in each of the last three years.

Answer: A full explanation of how highways maintenance funding is allocated is available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/highways-maintenance-funding-allocations. Local highway authorities can choose to spend Highways Maintenance Block fundi...

Answered 24 Mar 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the local highways maintenance funding formula for rural road networks.

Answer: The Department has not made an assessment of the average cost of maintaining a mile of road in rural or urban local authorities. Every area faces its own unique challenges. That is why highways maintenance funding is based on established national datasets...

Answered 16 Mar 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the average cost of maintaining a mile of road in (a) rural and (b) urban local authorities.

Answer: The Department has not made an assessment of the average cost of maintaining a mile of road in rural or urban local authorities. Every area faces its own unique challenges. That is why highways maintenance funding is based on established national datasets...

Answered 16 Mar 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many potholes were reported per mile of road in (a) rural and (b) urban local authorities in England in the last three years.

Answer: The Department for Transport does not hold data on the number of pothole reports made to local authorities. Under section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, local highway authorities are responsible for the condition of their local road networks, including resp...

Answered 16 Mar 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had any meetings with BASC, has any future meetings with BASC and any other organisations planned, on the issue of combining section 1 and 2 licenses for shotguns.

Answer: Home Office Ministers and officials meet with a range of stakeholders with an interest in firearms related issues, including the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), from time to time and will continue to do so.I had a meeting with BA...

Answered 10 Mar 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has evaluated the cost to local police constabulary of changes to licensing requirements around shotgun ownership.

Answer: The Government is intending to consult on strengthening shotgun controls in due course. The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published in February 2025, included a commitment to having a consultation on strengthening the li...

Answered 10 Mar 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of combining section 1 and 2 licenses on public safety.

Answer: The Government is intending to consult on strengthening shotgun controls in due course. The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published in February 2025, included a commitment to having a consultation on strengthening the li...

Answered 9 Mar 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his timetable is for the consultation on Section 1 and Section 2 licensing of shotguns and firearms.

Answer: The Government has committed to having a new public consultation on changes to the licensing controls on shotguns.We will publish the consultation in due course.

Answered 5 Mar 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will set out the agreed definition of being housebound that is used by the NHS; and under what circumstances is a person's status from being classed as housebound.

Answer: It is the responsibility of the commissioner to ensure patients registered with a general practice (GP) have access to urgent care when they are at home and unable to attend the practice they are registered with.Under the GP Contract, GPs are required to ...

Answered 16 Feb 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what data her Department holds on the number of farms that have become (a) insolvent and (b) ceased trading in the last three years.

Answer: The numbers of companies with Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) 2007 code 011, 012, 013, 014, 015 and 016 that entered insolvency in the UK in the last three years (2023 to 2025) are presented in the table below. This information has been provided ...

Answered 12 Feb 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of imported agricultural produce on farm-gate prices for British farmers.

Answer: As set out in the UK’s Trade Strategy, Defra will uphold high food and animal welfare standards. The Government recognises concerns about methods of production not permitted in the UK. While production methods vary in line with different climates, disease...

Answered 18 Feb 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with Suffolk County Council on the (a) social and (b) economic impact of housing (i) refugees and (ii) asylum seekers on the local area.

Answer: The Home Office continues to work closely with local authorities to manage all the pressures arising from the provision of asylum accommodation including the impact on wider local authority obligations and plans.The Home Office has delivered various grant...

Answered 11 Feb 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to protect British agricultural produce from foreign competition.

Answer: Strengthening food security by supporting our farmers and food producers is a priority for this Government. Defra is backing British farmers to create a productive, profitable and sustainable future for farming. As set out in the UK’s Trade Strategy, Defr...

Answered 10 Feb 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the impact of housing (a) refugees and (b) asylum seekers in Ipswich on social cohesion.

Answer: We have a set of Asylum Accommodation Plans which take an evidence-based approach to the procurement and occupancy of Dispersal Accommodation; ensuring we are finding suitable accommodation to fulfil our statutory duty, while considering the impacts on lo...

Answered 11 Feb 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of funding the construction of a Northern Bypass around Ipswich.

Answer: The Ipswich Northern Bypass was a scheme developed by Suffolk County Council, who are the Local Transport Authority for this region. A decision was taken locally by Suffolk County Council to withdraw the scheme back in 2020. Suffolk County Council did not...

Answered 10 Feb 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure the long-term financial viability of farming.

Answer: The Farming Roadmap and the full Government response to the Farming Profitability Review will be published later this year, setting out the wider plan to boost profitability and long-term viability. The Government is already taking forward a series of mea...

Answered 9 Feb 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with the (a) farming, (b) rural and (c) game sports industries on changes to shotgun licensing.

Answer: The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February 2025, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on...

Answered 23 Feb 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate has been made of the economic impact of housing (a) refugees and (b) asylum seekers in Ipswich.

Answer: The Home Office works closely with local authorities and takes into account the pressures associated with providing asylum accommodation. We continue to engage with local authorities to manage these impacts, including on their wider statutory responsibili...

Answered 16 Feb 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with Suffolk County Council regarding the construction of a Northern Bypass around Ipswich.

Answer: The Ipswich Northern Bypass was a scheme developed by Suffolk County Council, who are the Local Transport Authority for this region. A decision was taken locally by Suffolk County Council to withdraw the scheme back in 2020. Suffolk County Council did not...

Answered 10 Feb 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help improve the profitability of farming in England.

Answer: The Farming Roadmap and the full Government response to the Farming Profitability Review will be published later this year, setting out the wider plan to boost profitability and long-term viability. The Government is already taking forward a series of mea...

Answered 9 Feb 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she intends to publish the consultation into licensing controls for shotguns.

Answer: The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February 2025, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on...

Answered 23 Feb 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to publish proposals on access to primary care for patients without the means of digital communication.

Answer: We recognise that not all patients are able or wish to use online services. That is why the GP Contract is clear that that patients must always have the option to contact their practice by telephone or attend in person. Online tools should always be offer...

Answered 2 Feb 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support patients without access to the internet to get appointments with GPs.

Answer: We understand that not all patients have access to or want to use online services. The GP Contract is clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person, and all online tools must always be provided in ad...

Answered 16 Apr 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has a target for the proportion of domestic energy produced by land based solar farms.

Answer: Our pathway to clean power was set out in the Clean Power Action Plan, published in December 2024. It made clear that solar power, across rooftop and ground-mounted solar farms, will be crucial to achieving our mission. The plan calls for the rapid accele...

Answered 26 Jan 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of existing planning regulations for considering the views of local residents.

Answer: Planning regulations require local planning authorities to publish all planning applications for a minimum of 21 days to allow communities to provide their comments. Where relevant planning considerations are raised by local residents within this period t...

Answered 26 Jan 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how long the average wait time is in England for a patient to have a GP appointment GP a) by telephone and b) face to face.

Answer: NHS England publishes monthly data on general practice appointments. In November 2025, 33.5% of appointments delivered on the same day were conducted face to face, while 52.5% took place by telephone. In terms of the proportion of appointments delivered w...

Answered 26 Jan 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to amend planning regulations for solar farm applications to require greater consideration of local residents’ views.

Answer: Planning regulations require local planning authorities to publish all planning applications for a minimum of 21 days to allow communities to provide their comments. Where relevant planning considerations are raised by local residents within this period t...

Answered 19 Jan 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to require Environmental Impact Assessments to be carried out for all rural solar farm developments with a generating capacity below 50 megawatts.

Answer: Projects with a generating capacity of 100MW and less are considered under the provision of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. Under the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017, an Environmental Impact Assessment ...

Answered 20 Jan 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average wait time is for a patient to see a GP in (a) England and (b) by integrated care board.

Answer: NHS England publishes monthly data on general practice appointments, including the approximate length of time between appointments being booked and taking place, at a national and integrated care board level, although this is not a proxy for “waiting time...

Answered 2 Feb 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve treatment options for glioblastoma.

Answer: Brain tumours, including glioblastoma, remain one of the hardest to treat cancers. The Government is taking action to improve treatment options and outcomes.Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1.6 billion per ...

Answered 5 Jan 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the adequacy of financial support for parents of critically and terminally ill children.

Answer: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State regularly meets with colleagues across Government to discuss a range of issues. Many parents caring for children and young people with serious illnesses are likely to need additional support through social secur...

Answered 12 Dec 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he will launch a consultation into giving employment protection and financial assistance to the parents of critically or terminally ill children.

Answer: The Department for Business and Trade recognises the heartbreaking situation faced by parents of seriously ill children. We will consult on a leave and pay entitlement for parents in this situation in 2026. Further detail is included in the terms of refer...

Answered 16 Dec 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending neonatal care pay and leave to parents of all critically ill children under 16.

Answer: The Department for Business and Trade recognises the heartbreaking situation faced by parents of seriously ill children. We will consult on a leave and pay entitlement for parents in this situation in 2026. Further detail is included in the terms of refer...

Answered 16 Dec 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many GPs have left NHS practice since July 2024.

Answer: Overall, between July 2024 and October 2025, the number of fully qualified, full-time equivalent (FTE) general practitioners (GPs) increased by 1,687.In the period covering September 2024 to September 2025, the latest period for which the data is availabl...

Answered 5 Jan 2026

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that digital exclusion is not a barrier to accessing primary care.

Answer: Digital technology is being used to help health and care professionals communicate better and enable people to access the care they need quickly and easily, when it suits them.Since 1 October, general practices (GPs) have been required to keep their onlin...

Answered 1 Dec 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help retain farm businesses.

Answer: We have allocated £11.8 billion this parliament to sustainable farming and food production, targeting public money where it delivers most value: actions that support nature to produce good food and grants for cutting-edge technology. We are making supply ...

Answered 4 Dec 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the per patient funding was in (a) 2023-24, (b) 2024-25 and (c) 2025-26 for (i) Central Suffolk and North Ipswich ICB and (ii) England.

Answer: The total recurrent revenue allocation per head figures for the NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB), as well as for England overall, can be found from the ICB allocations published on the NHS England website. The column titled ‘Re...

Answered 1 Dec 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of patients have waited more than 21 days for a GP practice appointment in (a) rural and (b) urban areas in 2025.

Answer: NHS England publishes monthly data on general practice appointments (GPAD), including the approximate length of time between appointments being booked and taking place, although this is not a proxy for “waiting times”. There are a number of factors which ...

Answered 2 Dec 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to (a) reopen the water management grant for farmers and (b) introduce new support to improve farm productivity through more efficient use of water and secure water s

Answer: The Water Management Grant is designed to help improve farm productivity and water resilience through supporting investment in irrigation infrastructure and construction of reservoirs on-farm. Our last round, worth up to £6 million, closed to new applicat...

Answered 1 Dec 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many Countryside Stewardship agreements will end in each of the next six months.

Answer: There are almost 5,820 Countryside Stewardship (CS) Agreements that are due to expire within the next six months (November 25 – April 26). This figure covers all Countryside Stewardship Agri-environment schemes, including Mid-Tier, Higher-Tier, Capital Ag...

Answered 4 Dec 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the GP funding formula review plans to consider the challenges of providing primary care services in rural areas.

Answer: The review of the general practice funding formula, the Carr-Hill formula, is being conducted by the National Institute for Health and Care Research. The purpose of the review is to ensure that funding for general practice is distributed equitably and is ...

Answered 26 Nov 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much money has been allocated to the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund in 2025, 2026 and 2027.

Answer: £46.7 million was allocated to the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund in 2025. Funding for future years is yet to be decided and is subject to departmental business planning.

Answered 1 Dec 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many hectares of land have been taken out of food production in the last year.

Answer: Agricultural land can be taken out of human food production for a variety of reasons, including for agricultural purposes (for example when it’s used to produce animal feed, as bare fallow within the annual crop rotations or for temporary crops such as le...

Answered 25 Nov 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the 2025 harvest on (a) farm profitability and (b) business viability.

Answer: We regularly publish statistics on farm incomes and profitability. The latest figures on Farm Business Income covering the 2024/25 year were published on 20 November 2025: Farm business income - GOV.UK.

Answered 24 Nov 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure the inclusion of people (a) in rural areas and (b) with poor connectivity in the proposed digital ID scheme.

Answer: The Government will launch a public consultation on the new digital ID by the end of the year, setting out the proposed approach in more detail and seeking views on this. This will include the proposed approach to estimating and monitoring the costs invol...

Answered 22 Oct 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to ensure that lessons learned from previous IT projects will be considered in the development of the proposed digital ID scheme.

Answer: The Government will launch a public consultation on the new digital ID by the end of the year, setting out the proposed approach in more detail and seeking views on this. This will include the proposed approach to estimating and monitoring the costs invol...

Answered 22 Oct 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to help ensure the inclusion of people living in (a) rural areas and (b) with poor internet connectivity in the proposed digital ID scheme.

Answer: The Government will launch a public consultation on the new digital ID by the end of the year, setting out the proposed approach in more detail and seeking views on this. This will include the proposed approach to estimating and monitoring the costs invol...

Answered 22 Oct 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed Digital ID scheme on data security.

Answer: The Government will launch a public consultation on the new digital ID by the end of the year, setting out the proposed approach in more detail and seeking views on this. This will include the proposed approach to estimating and monitoring the costs invol...

Answered 22 Oct 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an estimate of the potential cost of the implementation of a digital ID system.

Answer: The Government will launch a public consultation on the new digital ID by the end of the year, setting out the proposed approach in more detail and seeking views on this. This will include the proposed approach to estimating and monitoring the costs invol...

Answered 22 Oct 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many failed asylum seekers are residing in Suffolk.

Answer: The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of asylum seekers in receipt of support, by support type and by local authority, is published in table Asy_D11 of the ‘Asylum support det...

Answered 28 Oct 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the estimated annual cost of providing (a) healthcare, (b) education, and (a) welfare support to illegal migrants in (i) the UK and (b) in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency.

Answer: The Home Office does not hold the information sought in these questions at the level of granularity requested.Collating and verifying that information for the purposes of answering these questions could only be done at disproportionate cost and would also...

Answered 21 Oct 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of unresolved asylum claims on local (a) councils and (b) services in Suffolk; and what additional resources she is providing to Suffolk Council to

Answer: The Home Office continues to work closely with local authorities to manage all the pressures arising from the provision of asylum accommodation including the impact on wider local authority obligations and plans.The Home Office has delivered various grant...

Answered 20 Oct 2025

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many outstanding asylum claims there are; and what the average time taken is for those claims to reach a final decision.

Answer: The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘asylum detailed datasets’ as part of the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’.Data on the number of claims awaiting an initial decision, broken down by duration, is published in table Asy_D03. ...

Answered 20 Oct 2025