Paul Kohler MP: written questions
78 published records · newest first.
Written questions
AsylumHome OfficeTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109439More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time taken to make an initial decision on an asylum claim was in each of the last five years.
Answer: The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the 'Immigration System Statistics' and the ‘Migration Transparency Data’ releases.Data on the number of asylum claims awaiting an initial decision by duration is published in table Asy_D03 of the ‘Asylum claims...
Answered 6 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPrisons: DrugsMinistry of JusticeTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109438More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the prevalence of (a) drug use and (b) synthetic drug use among the prison population in England and Wales.
Answer: We recognise that illicit drug use in prisons is too high, and are committed to tackling this to improve safety, support rehabilitation and reduce reoffending. We are investing over £40 million in physical security measures this financial year and have fu...
Answered 3 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordCourts and TribunalsMinistry of JusticeTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109437More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many sitting days each (a) court and (b) tribunal in England and Wales has been allocated in the 2025–26 financial year.
Answer: The Ministry of Justice interprets this question as referring to the total allocations for each court and tribunal jurisdiction for the FY 2025/26. As part of this Government’s commitment to transparency, we began publishing total sitting‑day allocations ...
Answered 6 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordCriminal Proceedings: StandardsMinistry of JusticeTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109436More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the longest waiting time was for a case to be heard in a criminal court in England and Wales once referred, as of the most recent data available.
Answer: We have interpreted your question to be asking for information on the longest time a case has taken to have its first hearing at a criminal court from the point of crime referral.The Ministry of Justice does not hold data regarding timeliness from the dat...
Answered 6 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordLegal Profession: ClosuresMinistry of JusticeTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109435More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what data his Department holds on the number of criminal legal aid firms that have ceased operating in England and Wales in each of the last 10 years.
Answer: The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is responsible for commissioning legal aid services in England and Wales. The LAA monitors the number of legal aid providers contracted to provide criminal legal aid services throughout England and Wales.Information regarding th...
Answered 6 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordGender Based Violence: ConvictionsMinistry of JusticeTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109434More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the number of convictions for violence against women and girls in England and Wales in the last 12 months.
Answer: Violence against women and girls constitutes a number of offences. The Ministry of Justice routinely publishes data on convictions for a number of offences including offences related to violence against women and girls in the Outcomes by Offence data tool...
Answered 3 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordRape: TrialsMinistry of JusticeTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109433More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of rape trials in England and Wales that were postponed in each year since 2015; and what the principal reasons were for those postponements.
Answer: The Ministry of Justice publishes figures for the volume of ineffective trials and reasons on a quarterly basis in the ‘Trial effectiveness at the criminal courts’ tool: Criminal court statistics quarterly: July to September 2025 - GOV.UK. An ineffective ...
Answered 3 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordRape: Criminal ProceedingsMinistry of JusticeTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109432More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average length of time was from charge to completion in court for rape cases in England and Wales in each year since 2016.
Answer: The Ministry of Justice publishes figures for Crown Court timeliness on a quarterly basis in the ‘End-to-end timeliness tool (Crown Court)’. This includes time taken from charge to completion for rape cases: Criminal court statistics quarterly: July to Se...
Answered 3 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordTrade: Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109431More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what support his Department is providing to help firms in Northern Ireland maximise the potential benefits of dual market access while managing regulatory and administrative burdens.
Answer: Dual market access is a unique trading advantage that can attract further investment in Northern Ireland. I meet a wide range of businesses in Northern Ireland - and recently visited the Camlin Group, Leckey and the Exact Group who all highlight dual mark...
Answered 3 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordTrade: Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109430More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what engagement his Department has had with business organisations in Northern Ireland on the practical challenges of complying with dual market access requirements, and what issues have been raised.
Answer: Dual market access is a unique trading advantage that can attract further investment in Northern Ireland. I meet a wide range of businesses in Northern Ireland - and recently visited the Camlin Group, Leckey and the Exact Group who all highlight dual mark...
Answered 3 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordSlaveryHome OfficeTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100585More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prosecutions for modern slavery offences have been brought in the past five years; and what measures are in place to improve victim identification and access to justice.
Answer: This Government is committed to tackling modern slavery, ensuring that victims are provided with the support they need to begin rebuilding their lives and that those responsible are prosecuted.The data on the number of modern slavery prosecutions is publi...
Answered 22 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordSlaveryDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100584More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that companies operating in the UK are carrying out robust due diligence to identify and prevent modern slavery practices within their operations and suppl
Answer: The UK’s current approach to tackling forced labour in global supply chains is focused on driving transparency. Section 54 of the UK’s Modern Slavery Act 2015 requires businesses with a turnover of £36m or more to publish modern slavery statements. The Go...
Answered 24 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordHuman Trafficking: ProstitutionHome OfficeTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100583More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the prevalence of human trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation in the UK; and what additional measures are being taken to strengthen protections for
Answer: The trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation is a truly horrific crime. This Government has set out a mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and we will use all the levers available to us to deliver this ambition. Thi...
Answered 22 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordSlaveryHome OfficeTabled 16 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100582More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 in preventing the exploitation of vulnerable individuals within large commercial organisations.
Answer: The government is committed to tackling modern slavery, ensuring that victims are provided with the support they need to begin rebuilding their lives and that those responsible are prosecuted.Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 established the UK as...
Answered 22 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordPolice: StandardsHome OfficeTabled 2 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 96468More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the ability of police forces to (a) investigate sexual offences, (b) fill gaps in data on violence against women and girls and (c) implement recomme
Answer: Tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a top priority for this Government with a manifesto mission to halve VAWG in a decade. We will deliver a cross-government transformative approach to halving VAWG, underpinned by a new VAWG strategy, whic...
Answered 9 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordVisas: Skilled WorkersHome OfficeTabled 2 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 96461More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to address cases where DWP staff meet the annual Skilled Worker Visa salary threshold but are affected by the method used to calculate hourly pay.
Answer: When assessing salaries for visa purposes, our approach is consistent with that taken in national minimum wage guidance, which states:‘If you pay a salaried worker their normal salary while they are absent from work and this forms a part of their employme...
Answered 10 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordSmall Businesses: Northern IrelandDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 4 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 88136More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support small businesses in Northern Ireland by (a) simplifying guidance, (b) reducing administrative burdens and (c) assisting firms trading under the Windsor Fr
Answer: The government is committed to supporting Small and Medium Sized Enterprises across the country with our Small Business Plan setting out the most comprehensive package of support for SMEs in a generation, including through the new Business Growth Service....
Answered 17 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordIndependent Review of the Windsor FrameworkNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 4 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 88135More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether his Department has a timetable for implementing the recommendations of the Independent Review of the Windsor Framework by the Rt Hon Lord Murphy, published on 4 September 2025.
Answer: The Government is considering Lord Murphy’s recommendations and will provide a response, including relevant timeframes, by January 2026, in line with our legal obligations.
Answered 12 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordCity Deals and Local Growth Deals: Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 4 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 88134More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to ensure that projects funded by the Government through the City and Growth Deals initiative in Northern Ireland are delivered effectively; how progress will be monitored; and wh
Answer: The UK Government is investing £617 million through the four City and Growth Deals which cover the whole of Northern Ireland. The four City and Growth Deals are: Belfast Region (£350m); Derry-Londonderry City and Strabane (£50m); Mid South West (£126m); a...
Answered 12 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordUK Internal Trade: Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 4 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 88133More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to (a) reduce the potential impact of the Not for EU labelling requirement on GB goods sold in Northern Ireland on costs for businesses and (b) ensure that the (i) Duty Reimbursem
Answer: The Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme simplifies the requirements for movement of goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. To be eligible, certain retail goods must be labelled as ‘Not for EU’. To ensure sufficient time for businesses to plan a...
Answered 12 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordChild Benefit: British Nationals AbroadTreasuryTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86557More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Cabinet Office's press release entitled Child Benefit action to save £350 million from claimants abroad, published on 22 August 2025, what steps her Department is taking to identify people who
Answer: As part of its ongoing efforts to reduce error and fraud in the Child Benefit system, HMRC ran a pilot last year using data on international travel and UK employment for a random sample of 200,000 Child Benefit records. This was to identify and remove peo...
Answered 7 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordChild Benefit: British Nationals AbroadTreasuryTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86556More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether with reference to the Cabinet Office's press release her Department has carried out an assessment of the pilot scheme to stop Child Benefit payments where a claimant had been outside the UK for more than eig
Answer: As part of its ongoing efforts to reduce error and fraud in the Child Benefit system, HMRC ran a pilot last year using data on international travel and UK employment for a random sample of 200,000 Child Benefit records. This was to identify and remove peo...
Answered 7 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordChild Benefit: British Nationals AbroadTreasuryTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86555More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps, with reference to the Cabinet Office's press release her Department is taking to rectify data on people erroneously identified as having been outside of the UK for more than eight weeks for Child Benefit
Answer: As part of its ongoing efforts to reduce error and fraud in the Child Benefit system, HMRC ran a pilot last year using data on international travel and UK employment for a random sample of 200,000 Child Benefit records. This was to identify and remove peo...
Answered 7 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordChild Benefit: British Nationals AbroadTreasuryTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86554More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Cabinet Office's press release entitled Child Benefit action to save £350 million from claimants abroad, published on 22 August 2025, how many Child Benefit claimants were erroneously identifie
Answer: As part of its ongoing efforts to reduce error and fraud in the Child Benefit system, HMRC ran a pilot last year using data on international travel and UK employment for a random sample of 200,000 Child Benefit records. This was to identify and remove peo...
Answered 7 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordChild Benefit: British Nationals AbroadTreasuryTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86553More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Cabinet Office's press release entitled Child Benefit action to save £350 million from claimants abroad, published on 22 August 2025, for what reason her Department chose international travel d
Answer: As part of its ongoing efforts to reduce error and fraud in the Child Benefit system, HMRC ran a pilot last year using data on international travel and UK employment for a random sample of 200,000 Child Benefit records. This was to identify and remove peo...
Answered 7 Nov 2025
Original Parliament record
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