Pippa Heylings MP: written questions
625 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Small Businesses: Employers' ContributionsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 11 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89737More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the (a) Employment Rights Bill and (b) changes to employers' National Insurance Contributions on small and medium-sized businesses.
Answer: My department has published a robust set of Impact Assessments that provide a comprehensive analysis on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill, available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments These include...
Answered 19 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordZero Hours Contracts: Seasonal WorkersDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 11 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89736More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that new regulations on zero-hours contracts reflect (a) seasonal and (b) fluctuating work patterns in the (i) hospitality, (ii) agriculture and (iii) other seasonal s
Answer: We appreciate that work can fluctuate seasonally for certain sectors. The Employment Rights Bill provides powers for the zero-hours measures to cater for seasonal work through regulations. We will consult employers, trade unions, and other stakeholders to...
Answered 19 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordUnfair DismissalDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 11 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89735More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will issue guidance on the interaction between his Department's proposed probationary period and employees’ rights to claim unfair dismissal under the Employment Rights Bill.
Answer: The Government’s Employment Rights Bill Implementation Roadmap, published in July 2025, reiterated our commitment to producing guidance to ensure that employers and employees understand the Plan to Make Work Pay’s changes to employment law, including unfa...
Answered 19 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordStatutory Sick Pay: Small BusinessesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 11 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89734More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to provide targeted support for small employers to help meet the cost of day-one Statutory Sick Pay.
Answer: Strengthening Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is part of the Government’s Plan to Make Work Pay ensuring the safety net of sick pay is available to those who need it most. The Government believes that removing the waiting period is essential to ensure employees ...
Answered 18 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordSmall Businesses: RecruitmentDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 11 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89733More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on levels of hiring confidence among small and medium-sized enterprises.
Answer: My department has published a robust set of Impact Assessments that provide a comprehensive analysis on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill, available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessmentsThis analysis ...
Answered 19 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordSmall Modular ReactorsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 5 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 88437More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to prioritise the development of small modular reactors as load following sources.
Answer: The next generation of nuclear, including small modular reactors (SMR), offers new possibilities including faster deployment, lower capital costs, and greater flexibility. Whilst nuclear energy has a unique role to play in delivering stable, low carbon ba...
Answered 17 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordHeat Pumps: Planning PermissionDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 4 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 87969More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of planning restrictions on noise levels for heat pumps on installation of those pumps.
Answer: Research found that noise complaints from air source heat pumps are rare and heat pumps are perceived as being very quiet (Air source heat pump noise emissions, planning guidance and regulations - GOV.UK). In 2025 the Government amended the Permitted Deve...
Answered 17 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordSmall Modular ReactorsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85979More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of small modular reactors being made as load following energy sources.
Answer: The next generation of nuclear, including small modular reactors (SMR), offers new possibilities including faster deployment, lower capital costs, and greater flexibility. Whilst nuclear energy has a unique role to play in delivering stable, low carbon ba...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Education: Written QuestionsDepartment for EducationTabled 27 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85387More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to respond to Question 82435 tabled by the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire on 15 October 2025.
Answer: The response to Written Parliamentary Question 82435 was published on 4 November 2025.
Answered 10 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordFish: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84432More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure Fisheries Management Plans deliver sustainable fisheries management.
Answer: In line with the UK Fisheries Act 2020 Defra is committed to managing our fisheries sustainably. Defra has published the first set of Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) and are on course to publish the next five by the end of 2025, with a further four to b...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFish: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84431More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to provide resources to implementation groups responsible for the delivery of Fisheries Management Plans.
Answer: Defra is committed to working collaboratively with stakeholders in delivering Fisheries Management Plans (FMP). Defra resources and manages a number of FMP implementation groups, and funds Seafish to convene and support two further implementation groups. ...
Answered 30 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFisheries Act 2020Department for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84430More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help meet the National Benefit objective of the Fisheries Act 2020.
Answer: The UK requires that vessels fishing against UK quota demonstrate a tangible economic contribution to the UK. This is primarily achieved through the economic link licence condition, embedded in fishing licences. As part of the Quota Application Mechanism ...
Answered 30 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFisheriesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84429More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with fisheries authorities on the effectiveness of the steps they are taking to tackle (a) illegal, (b) unreported and (c) unregulated fishing in UK waters
Answer: Whilst it is for each of the Devolved Administrations to assess how best to control its waters, Defra, the Scottish Government, Welsh Government, and Northern Ireland Executive work closely together. This cooperation includes discussions and review of app...
Answered 30 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFisheriesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84428More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to tackle known limitations of fisheries stock assessments since 2020; and whether she plans to allocate additional funding to help improve data col
Answer: The Department has invested significantly in research and development with an aim to improve fisheries stock assessments since 2020. Additionally, the Department has run a Fisheries and Science Partnership scheme, which provided grant funding to fishing i...
Answered 30 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFisheries: QuotasDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84396More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the fixed quota allocation system for distributing the catch quotas.
Answer: The Fixed Quota Allocation (FQA) system was introduced in 1999 and is only one of the ways in which quota is allocated. While the UK Government does not routinely conduct formal assessments of the FQA system itself, it continually monitors fish stocks bas...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFisheries: QuotasDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83906More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the outcomes of the 2025 Quota application mechanism trial; and whether she plans to expand this system to distribute a greater proportion of England’s
Answer: An assessment of the 2024 Quota Application Mechanism trial has been published online, and an assessment of the 2025 trial will be developed and published once the 2025 trial has concluded at the end of the fishing year. Applications for the 2026 trial ar...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFisheries: QuotasDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83900More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the percentage of UK fixed quota allocation units that are held by non-UK entities.
Answer: The Fixed Quota Allocation (FQA) Register is an online resource listing UK fishing vessel licences, the associated FQA units, and their respective owners. You can access the register at: www.fqaregister.service.gov.uk. The UK’s fishing quota is currently ...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFisheries: QuotasDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83899More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that fishing quotas are distributed in ways that incentivise (a) lower impact and (b) selective fishing.
Answer: There are a number of mechanisms in place to incentivise lower impact and selective fishing. In terms of quota distribution, in England we have been running a trial since 2024 called the Quota Application Mechanism, which allocates quota based on environm...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFishing Vessels: MonitoringDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83898More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she plans to introduce mandatory Remote Electronic Monitoring for (a) over 24m pelagics vessles, (b) over 10m demersal seine vessels and (c) over 10m demersal trawls.
Answer: Defra is working to implement Remote Electronic Monitoring in five priority fisheries. They are:- Pelagic trawls, over 24m, all English waters- Demersal seines, over 10m, English waters of the Southern North Sea and English Channel- Demersal trawls using ...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFishing Vessels: Territorial WatersDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83897More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the devolved Administrations on protocols for mandatory Remote Electronic Monitoring for vessels fishing in UK territorial waters.
Answer: Defra has regular discussions with the devolved administrations on the design of Remote Electronic Monitoring protocols. We will continue to work with our colleagues around the UK to discuss our policies where it is right to do so.
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFishing Vessels: StandardsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83896More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of compliance of fishing vessels with (a) AIS, (b)VMS and (c) iVMS; what steps he is taken ensure there is full compliance with these syste
Answer: As fisheries control and enforcement is a devolved matter, each Devolved Administration is responsible for enforcement capacity in their waters. Defra is committed to maintaining a robust and adaptive enforcement system to protect English waters from ille...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFisheries: Territorial WatersDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83895More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to strengthen enforcement capacity in UK territorial waters.
Answer: As fisheries control and enforcement is a devolved matter, each Devolved Administration is responsible for enforcement capacity in their waters. Defra is committed to maintaining a robust and adaptive enforcement system to protect English waters from ille...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFishing CatchesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83894More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to tackle (a) bycatch and (b) illegal discarding by vessels in the last year.
Answer: We continue our effort to minimise and, where possible, eliminate the bycatch of sensitive species. Working in partnership with industry and eNGOs we have a range of activities in place including: continuation of the long-standing Bycatch Monitoring Progr...
Answered 30 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFishing Catches and Fishing VesselsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83893More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of current protocols to account for (a) fishing catches and (b) fishing vessel activities.
Answer: Seafood sold in the UK is subject to traceability requirements to ensure fish and fisheries products can be tracked from the final point of sale back to its point of origin and included in catch figures. These traceability requirements include rules on re...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordMarine Management Organisation: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83892More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding the Marine Management Organisation has received in each of the last five years; what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the funding on the enforcement
Answer: As set out in the Annual Report and Accounts of the Marine Management Organisation, total expenditure was £36.1 million in FY20/21, £42 million in FY21/22, £42.7 million in FY22/23, and £54 million in FY23/24. Defra works closely with the Marine Managemen...
Answered 30 Oct 2025
Original Parliament record
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