Peter Bedford MP: written questions 2025
357 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority: EqualitySpeaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards AuthorityTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38862More
Question: To ask the hon. Member for Warrington North, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, whether she has made an estimate of the potential savings to the public purse of abolishing diversity, equality and in
Answer: The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) does not employ any people who work solely in diversity, equality, and inclusion roles.
Answered 19 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: EqualityDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38861More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether they have made an estimate of the potential impact of abolishing diversity, equity and inclusion roles in their Department on annual staffing costs.
Answer: Defra group is committed to enabling an inclusive and respectful culture with thriving workplaces where all colleagues are valued and treated fairly. This maximises our potential to innovate, collaborate and deliver first-class outcomes for our citizens. ...
Answered 28 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Work and Pensions: EqualityDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38860More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether they have made an estimate of the potential impact of abolishing diversity, equity and inclusion roles in their Department on annual staffing costs.
Answer: The delivery of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) activity and staffing requirements is decided by departments as the employer. DWP is committed to being an inclusive employer and is committed to creating an environment where everyone belongs and ca...
Answered 25 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Transport: EqualityDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38859More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether they have made an estimate of the potential impact of abolishing diversity, equity and inclusion roles in their Department on annual staffing costs.
Answer: The Department for Transport has not estimated the potential impact on annual staff costs in the department of abolishing Diversity, Equality and Inclusion roles.
Answered 25 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Education: EqualityDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38858More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether they have made an estimate of the potential impact of abolishing diversity, equity and inclusion roles in their Department on annual staffing costs.
Answer: The department has not made an estimate on the potential impact of abolishing diversity, equity and inclusion roles on our annual staffing costs.More information on the Civil Service Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Expenditure guidance, published in M...
Answered 29 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Justice: EqualityMinistry of JusticeTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38857More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether they have made an estimate of the potential impact of abolishing diversity, equity and inclusion roles in their Department on annual staffing costs.
Answer: The delivery of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) activity and staffing requirements is decided by Departments as the employer.Civil Service Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Expenditure guidance, published under the previous Government in May 202...
Answered 27 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment of Health and Social Care: EqualityDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38856More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether they have made an estimate of the potential impact of abolishing diversity, equity and inclusion roles in their Department on annual staffing costs.
Answer: The Department has no current roles which focus exclusively on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The roles to support the Department's legal and policy obligations under this remit are integrated into its wider human resources and policy functions. ...
Answered 26 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHome Office: EqualityHome OfficeTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38855More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether they have made an estimate of the potential impact of abolishing diversity, equity and inclusion roles in their Department on annual staffing costs.
Answer: No such estimate has been made, but I would refer the Hon Member to the Cabinet Office guidance on the Civil Service Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Expenditure, published under the previous government in May 2024, which states:Internal Efficiency Mea...
Answered 25 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordExtraditionMinistry of JusticeTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38854More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, in the context of average times taken to extradite foreign national offenders.
Answer: This Government is deporting eligible Foreign National Offenders as fast as possible. We have removed 21% more foreign national offenders during the period July 2024 to January 2025 compared with the equivalent period in 2023-24, under the previous Govern...
Answered 27 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHome Office: Non-departmental Public BodiesHome OfficeTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38853More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of abolishing non-departmental public bodies on (a) her Department's costs and (b) democratic accountability.
Answer: We keep all bodies sponsored and funded by the Home Office under review, to ensure they are delivering public outcomes efficiently and effectively.
Answered 20 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: RecruitmentMinistry of DefenceTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38852More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Education on promoting careers in the armed forces in (a) schools and (b) other educational settings.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 25 November 2024, to Question 14894.
Answered 20 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment of Health and Social Care: Non-departmental Public BodiesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38851More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will list the non-departmental public bodies overseen by his Department he plans to abolish.
Answer: The Prime Minister announced the abolition of NHS England, the largest arm’s length body in England, on 13 March 2025, and my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, followed this with a statement to Parliament.
Answered 26 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: LeicestershireMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38850More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to introduce local referenda on local government reorganisation in Leicestershire.
Answer: We do not have any plans to introduce local referenda as part of the local government reorganisation process. As per our invitation letter guidance we expect councils to engage locally when developing proposals. We expect local leaders to engage their MPs...
Answered 20 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordCivil ServantsCabinet OfficeTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37031More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the (a) total number of employees and (b) full-time equivalent headcount will be in the civil service by the end of this Parliament; and what the total employment costs for civil ser
Answer: The Prime Minister has set out his ambition to deliver long-term, impactful changes to reshape the British state and the Government is taking forward a number of measures to deliver greater efficiency and transformation in the Civil Service. Each departme...
Answered 24 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordTreasury: StaffTreasuryTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37030More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans she has to reduce (a) headcount and (a) payroll costs in her Department, in the context of Cabinet Office guidance on this matter.
Answer: Spending Review 2025 Phase 2 will set the future budgets for HM Treasury. The Spending Review has not yet concluded, so it is not possible to say what the specific headcount and payroll plans are for the department.
Answered 14 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordIncome Tax and National Insurance ContributionsTreasuryTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37029More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has considered merging employee National Insurance Contributions and Income Tax.
Answer: Merging income tax and National Insurance contributions would be a major upheaval in the tax system with consequences for the labour market and impacts for a large number of individuals and businesses. As such, the Government has no plans to combine incom...
Answered 14 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordCompanies: Tax AllowancesTreasuryTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37028More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing tax relief for companies that employ young people who are not in (a) education, (b) employment or (c) training.
Answer: There are existing reliefs available to support and encourage youth employment. This includes the employer National Insurance contribution (NICs) relief for employers who provide apprenticeships to young people under 25 and employers who employ individual...
Answered 14 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordIndividual Savings AccountsTreasuryTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37027More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of reducing the ISA allowance on pensioner savings.
Answer: The Government is committed to incentivising saving and investment, helping people to save for their future goals and build greater financial resilience. Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) support people of all incomes and at all stages of life to save, a...
Answered 14 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordAnimal WelfareDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 28 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34755More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department has made of the potential merits of strengthening protections for cruelty against (a) dogs, (b) cats and (c) ferrets.
Answer: Causing unnecessary suffering to an animal is an offence under Section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, subject to a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine. This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambi...
Answered 10 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordTransport: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 28 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34754More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of earmarking 10% of the transport budget for encouraging (a) walking, (b) cycling and (c) other healthier transport choices.
Answer: The Government recognises that investment in high quality active travel infrastructure supports its economic growth, health and net zero missions by helping to revitalise high streets; enabling people to live longer, healthier lives; and helping to reduce...
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordOffshore Industry: North SeaDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 28 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34753More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions his Department has had to ensure that Rosebank and Jackdaw Oil Fields continue in production.
Answer: Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
Answered 10 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordApprenticeship LevyDepartment for EducationTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34184More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what was the total (a) apprenticeship levy revenue received from eligible employers, (b) sum and proportion of levy revenue spent on Level 4, 5, 6 and 7 apprenticeship qualifications and (c) the sum and proport
Answer: All UK employers with an annual pay bill above £3 million pay 0.5 per cent of their pay bill to invest in apprenticeship training. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is responsible for collecting the levy on behalf of the government. Annual apprenticeship levy...
Answered 11 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Business and Trade: Written QuestionsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33802More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.
Answer: A small proportion of staff in the Department for Business and Trade have access to AI software tools at the moment. These tools may be used to support the drafting process for responding to written parliamentary questions. All responses are reviewed by p...
Answered 5 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Culture, Media and Sport: Written QuestionsDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33801More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.
Answer: No, DCMS has not used AI software to respond to written parliamentary questions.
Answered 5 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Education: Written QuestionsDepartment for EducationTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33800More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is using AI software in responding to written parliamentary questions.
Answer: The department sometimes uses Artificial Intelligence software tools to support the drafting process for responding to written parliamentary questions. All responses are reviewed by policy officials to ensure accuracy and consistency with government polic...
Answered 29 Mar 2025
Original Parliament record
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