Pippa Heylings MP: written questions
258 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Universal CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49522More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of enabling local authorities access to up-to-date Universal Credit claimant data for all claimants in their area.
Answer: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recognises the benefits of further Universal Credit data sharing with Local Authorities to support vulnerable citizens.DWP is working on a project to do exactly this, and aims to have delivered a test version to ...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordIndustrial Strategy CouncilDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49521More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans her Department to integrate the work of the Industrial Strategy Council with (a) Life Sciences Council and (b) other governance structures.
Answer: Sector Plans are being designed in partnership with business, devolved governments, regions and other stakeholders, through bespoke arrangements tailored to each sector. This will vary by sector, but some may include Sector Councils, such as the well-esta...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: DrugsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49520More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has received (a) evidence and (b) data from the life sciences industry on increasing the NHS medicines budget.
Answer: We regularly engage with the life sciences sector to understand what the latest data and evidence shows about the impact of Government policies on patient outcomes, innovation, and growth, including through the ongoing Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicin...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordApprenticeship LevyDepartment for EducationTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49519More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of removing Apprenticeship Levy funding for Level 7 apprenticeships on the number of people using the apprenticeship route to obtain higher-
Answer: I refer the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire to the answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43275.
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordEquality and Human Rights Commission: WomenWomen and EqualitiesTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49518More
Question: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will ask the EHRC to publish their full plans for consulting (a) the transgender community and (b) people who are intersex before publishing their full guidance in response to the Supreme Court judgemen
Answer: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is independent of government. It is for the EHRC to ensure that the consultation process is appropriate and meaningfully engages with varied stakeholders.The Government expects them to do this widely and bro...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordEquality and Human Rights Commission: WomenWomen and EqualitiesTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49517More
Question: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will seek information from the EHRC on which (a) people and (b) organisations were consulted before the issue of the EHRC interim guidance on the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotlan
Answer: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is independent of the government. It is for the EHRC to ensure that any consultation process is appropriate and meaningfully engages with varied stakeholders.The EHRC’s interim update provides a perspective ...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordIntersexWomen and EqualitiesTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49516More
Question: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment the Government has made of the impact of the (a) Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025 and (b) interim EHRC guidance on that ruling
Answer: The Government has set out our expectation that organisations follow the clarity the ruling provides. The EHRC’s interim update provides a perspective on how the judgment and Equality Act are practically applied in some areas. The EHRC has already committ...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordIntersexWomen and EqualitiesTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49515More
Question: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether the Government has a definition of biological sex for (a) people with Turner Syndrome, (b) people with Klinefelter syndrome, (c) people with Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome, (d) people with Pa
Answer: The Government understands people with those conditions to have Variations in Sex Characteristics, but we do not hold central definitions of the biological sex of people who have these conditions, nor do we keep any records.
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: ForestryDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49514More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to provide funding for agroforestry support to include (a) multi-species planting and (b) increased tree planting densities to enable woodland systems suitable for (i)
Answer: Our in-field agroforestry offers under the Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes allow flexibility for land managers to decide on tree species and densities that suit their objectives, to realise the multiple benefits that trees provide in the farmi...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: SubsidiesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49513More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to adapt farming subsidy schemes to encourage farmers to (a) house farmed animals in woodlands and (b) plant woodlands in permanent pasture.
Answer: Our in-field agroforestry offers under the Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes include support for establishing and maintaining silvopastoral systems, where trees are planted in pasture to realise their multiple benefits such as enhanced animal we...
Answered 13 May 2025
Original Parliament recordCommunity Diagnostic Centres: Blood TestsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49512More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that a full blood count is (a) categorised as a core diagnostic service and (b) available at all community diagnostic centres.
Answer: Blood tests, particularly full blood count (FBC) tests, are among the most commonly requested diagnostic investigations across primary and secondary care, and are readily available across all 27 National Health Service pathology networks. FBC tests play a...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordOffshore Industry: LicensingDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44677More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what role the Treasury holds in approving new oil and gas fields.
Answer: The Oil & Gas Authority (operating as the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA)) are the licensing authority for offshore oil & gas. The NSTA are also responsible for granting consents and authorisations for subsequent activities (including develo...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordOffshore Industry: LicensingDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44676More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, who approves new oil and gas fields.
Answer: The Oil & Gas Authority (operating as the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA)) are the licensing authority for offshore oil & gas. The NSTA are also responsible for granting consents and authorisations for subsequent activities (including develo...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordClimate ChangeDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44675More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to meet climate change adaptation commitments.
Answer: Defra is the lead department for domestic adaptation to climate change, and as such it is responsible for coordinating requirements set out in the UK Climate Change Act 2008. Defra is the owning department for about half of the 61 risks and opportunities ...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Environment ProtectionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44674More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support nature-friendly farming.
Answer: The Government is supporting farmers to implement nature-friendly farming practices through a range of measures. These include habitat restoration and creation, and changes to limit emissions while maintaining agricultural profitability and increasing pro...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordHorticulture: PeatDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44673More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislation to end retail sales of horticultural peat.
Answer: This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Defra is committed to protecting our nature-rich habitats, including peat bogs, and is looking at next steps regarding measures to ban horticultural peat. The Depart...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPeatlands: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44672More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help restore peatlands.
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of England’s peatlands, and in our manifesto, we committed to expanding nature-rich habitats such as peatlands. This will contribute to ensuring nature’s recovery, one of Defra’s five priorities. We have ambitions ...
Answered 23 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMarine Environment: Environment ProtectionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44671More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the carbon storage potential of natural blue carbon habitats; and what steps he is taking to help protect these habitats.
Answer: To progress the evidence base on blue carbon habitats in UK waters the UK Blue Carbon Evidence Partnership (UKBCEP) was established in 2022. Through the UKBCEP, Defra is working together with Devolved Governments and DESNZ to address key blue carbon resea...
Answered 24 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMarine Environment: Environment ProtectionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44670More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to protect blue carbon habitats from damaging human activities.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for Poole, Neil Duncan-Jordan, in February 2025, PQ 28248. In England, we have established a comprehensive network of 181 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which cover the majority of o...
Answered 24 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordGame: Gun SportsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44669More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a licensing system for grouse shooting in England.
Answer: The Government recognises well-managed grouse shooting can be an important part of a local rural economy, providing direct and indirect employment. It also appreciates that many people hold strong views on the issue of grouse shooting and there is evidenc...
Answered 24 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordBirds of Prey: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44668More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to tackle persecution of birds of prey.
Answer: Bird of prey persecution is a national wildlife crime priority and there are strong penalties in place for offences committed against birds of prey and other wildlife. Where any wild bird of prey is killed illegally the full force of the law should apply ...
Answered 24 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNature ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44667More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure the UK meets its 2030 nature recovery targets.
Answer: Our biodiversity targets, alongside other statutory targets on tree canopy and woodland cover, water and air quality, marine protected areas, and resource efficiency, will drive action for nature recovery.We have pledged up to £400 million for tree planti...
Answered 24 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordBirds: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44666More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support the UK’s declining wild bird populations.
Answer: This Government remains committed to taking action to recover our threatened native species including wild birds. That is why, on the 30 July 2024 the Government announced a review of the 2023 Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) and the intention to deve...
Answered 24 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNature ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44665More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to take steps to help support authorities responsible for local nature recovery strategies to (a) facilitate partnership working, (b) collate a pipeline of nature reco
Answer: The Secretary of State for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has appointed 48 responsible authorities to prepare Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs) across England. Responsible authorities must follow the LNRS regulations when pre...
Answered 25 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNature ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44664More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will provide guidance to authorities responsible for local nature recovery strategies on the delivery of those strategies.
Answer: The Secretary of State for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has appointed 48 responsible authorities to prepare Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs) across England. Responsible authorities must follow the LNRS regulations when pre...
Answered 25 Apr 2025
Original Parliament record
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