Peter Bedford MP: written questions
352 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Plastics: WasteDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 12 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 31349More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of reintroducing plastic straws.
Answer: The Secretary of State has not made an assessment of the potential merits of reintroducing plastic straws. However, the Department is currently conducting a post-implementation review of the Environmental Protection (Plastic Straws, Cotton Buds and Stirre...
Answered 24 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPopulation: Mid LeicestershireCabinet OfficeTabled 11 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30907More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his department has made of the level of population growth in the Mid Leicestershire constituency over the next five years.
Answer: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the hon. Member’s Parliamentary Question of 11th February is attached.
Answered 18 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordMental Health Services: Children and Young PeopleDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 11 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30906More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress his Department has made on reducing the backlog of children and young people waiting for mental health services in Leicestershire.
Answer: Child and adolescent mental health services work with young people and their families from across Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland. The service also links with other children’s services, such as early help, schools, and social care to provide a mult...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordSmall Businesses: Mid LeicestershireCabinet OfficeTabled 11 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30905More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of the number of small businesses in Mid Leicestershire constituency in (a) July 2024 and (b) February 2025.
Answer: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 11th February is attached.
Answered 18 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: Employers' ContributionsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 11 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30904More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment her Department has made of the impact of the increase in employer National Insurance contributions on councils.
Answer: Additional funding for employer NICs has been determined based on a national assessment of the costs for directly employed staff. The grant distribution methodology has been published in an explanatory note on the government website: https://www.gov.uk/go...
Answered 19 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordIncome Tax: Tax AllowancesTreasuryTabled 11 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30903More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the Personal Allowance threshold from £12,570.
Answer: The previous Government made the decision to freeze the income tax Personal Allowance at its current level of £12,570 until April 2028. At our first Budget, we decided not to extend the freeze on personal tax thresholds meaning they will rise with inflati...
Answered 18 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordMigrantsHome OfficeTabled 11 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30902More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of people entering the country via routes other than small boat crossings in the last 12 months.
Answer: The information you have requested is published in the Immigration system statistics quarterly release.Data on detected irregular arrivals by method of entry is published in table Irr_01 of the Irregular migration summary tables. Data on passenger arrival...
Answered 24 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordIron and Steel: ImportsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 11 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30901More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of american tariffs on steel on future trends in the level of UK steel imports.
Answer: Tariffs on US steel imports have not yet been implemented, and this Government will engage with the US administration to seek a solution that benefits both nations. On 12 February I met with UK Steel, trade unions and our six steel producers to discuss th...
Answered 19 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordAcademic FreedomDepartment for EducationTabled 11 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30900More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of free speech provisions in higher-education.
Answer: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, confirmed to Parliament on 15 January the government’s plans for future of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023, which will create a more proportionate, balanced and less burdensome ...
Answered 19 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordMembers: AllowancesSpeaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards AuthorityTabled 11 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30840More
Question: To ask the hon. Member for Warrington North, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the (a) time taken and (b) cost to administer claims made to the Indep
Answer: IPSA has a statutory responsibility to regulate and administor a transparent scheme of staffing and business costs for MPs. Those spending public money are responsible for a suitable audit trail which is why IPSA asks for, and reviews, evidence of spend. ...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordIndependent Parliamentary Standards Authority: Cost EffectivenessSpeaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards AuthorityTabled 11 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30839More
Question: To ask the hon. Member for Warrington North, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of asking the National Audit Office to undertake a value for mo
Answer: The Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (SCIPSA) is a statutory Committee established under the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009. The Committee's functions are set out in that Act. The Independent Parliamentary Standa...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordMembersSpeaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards AuthorityTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30472More
Question: To ask the hon. Member for Warrington North, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what recent discussions she has had with IPSA on its definition of an MP's parliamentary duties.
Answer: The Parliamentary Standards Act 2009 provides for IPSA to support MPs in carrying out their parliamentary functions. MPs are therefore required by IPSA to certify that their use of public funds was for the performance of their parliamentary functions, and...
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordFly-tipping: Mid LeicestershireDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30435More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to reduce fly-tipping in Mid Leicestershire constituency.
Answer: Local authorities are often best placed to respond to fly-tipping. They have a range of enforcement powers which we encourage them to make good use of. In our manifesto we committed to forcing fly-tippers and vandals to clean up the mess that they have cr...
Answered 17 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordSewage: Flood ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30434More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of blocked drains on flooding.
Answer: The role of any Government is to protect its citizens which is why, under our Plan for Change, a record £2.65 billion will be invested over two years in better protecting 52,000 properties by March 2026. Around 1,000 projects will receive funding in 24/25...
Answered 25 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: LeicestershireMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30433More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions her Department has had with Leicestershire County Council on (a) local government reorganisation and (b) devolution.
Answer: Following the publication of the English Devolution White Paper on 16 December, Ministers and officials have engaged extensively with Local Authorities across England, including Leicestershire County Council, on what these ambitious agendas means for loca...
Answered 18 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordSports Competitors: Transgender PeopleDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30432More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will review the inclusion of trans athletes in women's sports.
Answer: Sporting bodies have a responsibility to protect the integrity and fairness of women's sport and the safety of all participants, particularly when it is not possible to balance those factors with inclusion.National Governing Bodies set their own policies ...
Answered 18 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordActive TravelDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30431More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding her Department has allocated to delivering Active Travel Schemes in (a) the UK, (b) Leicestershire and (c) Mid Leicestershire constituency in the last five years.
Answer: Through the Active Travel Fund in the last five years, £646,775,713 has been awarded to local authorities across England, outside of London. Of this funding, £2,209,470 has been awarded to Leicestershire County Council. None of this funding was awarded to...
Answered 18 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: Mid LeicestershireDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30430More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department has taken to reduce the number of pot-holes in Mid Leicestershire constituency.
Answer: Leicestershire County Council is the local highway authority for the Mid-Leicestershire constituency. The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to helping local highway authorities such as Leicestershire maintain an...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordFinancial Services: Further EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30429More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has she made of the adequacy of the level of financial education for students in post-16 educational settings.
Answer: Financial education is integrated into the curriculum at key stages 3 and 4 through citizenship education and elements of the mathematics curriculum but is not compulsory at key stage 5. However, post-16 education providers are free to teach it if they wi...
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordPensioners: Mid LeicestershireDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30428More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners were in poverty in Mid Leicestershire in each of the last five years.
Answer: Statistics on the number of pensioners living in relative and absolute poverty are not available at a constituency level. Statistics on the number of pensioners living in relative and absolute poverty are published annually in the Households Below Average...
Answered 18 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPensioners: Mid LeicestershireDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30427More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners are considered to be in poverty in Mid Leicestershire constituency.
Answer: Statistics on the number of pensioners living in relative and absolute poverty are not available at a constituency level. Statistics on the number of pensioners living in relative and absolute poverty are published annually in the Households Below Average...
Answered 18 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordUnemployment: Young PeopleDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30426More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information her Department holds on the level of expenditure on young people who were not in education, employment or training in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) Leicestershire and (c) Mid Leicestershi
Answer: The information is not collated centrally and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost. As part of the Great Britain Working plan, we will launch a new Youth Guarantee for all young people aged 18-21 in England to ensure that they can access qual...
Answered 17 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordStreptococcus: ChildrenDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30425More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a vaccination programme for primary school children against Group A Streptococcal infection.
Answer: The Department works closely with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and NHS England, with expert advice from the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, to design, implement, and deliver vaccination programmes offering high levels...
Answered 20 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordSepsis: Health EducationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30424More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to improve the education of (a) frontline healthcare staff and (b) the public on the (i) symptoms and (ii) signs of sepsis.
Answer: Sepsis has no specific diagnostic test, and the signs and symptoms can vary, making it challenging to identify and diagnose.The Government and its Arm’s Length Bodies are focused on improving the clinical awareness and recognition of sepsis by healthcare ...
Answered 18 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordUndocumented Migrants: English ChannelHome OfficeTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30421More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many small boat pilots have been arrested in each of the last five years.
Answer: The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.From 5 July 2024 to 11 February 2025 Home Office ...
Answered 24 Feb 2025
Original Parliament record
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