Rachel Gilmour MP: written questions
277 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Driving Licences: ApplicationsDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 88522More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle delays in processing re-applications to the DVLA following the voluntarily surrender of driving licences on medical grounds.
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. Driving licence applications where a medical condition(s) must be investigated before a licence can be issued can take longer. This is because the DVLA...
Answered 11 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordCommunity Care: VAT ExemptionsTreasuryTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86522More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending VAT exemption to include essential (a) day care and (b) respite services for people with (i) dementia and (ii) other permanent disabilities.
Answer: Supplies of welfare services, including the provision of care for people with permanent disabilities and dementia, are exempt from VAT if they are supplied by eligible bodies, such as public bodies or charities. When developing policy, including on VAT on...
Answered 7 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordRegional Planning and Development: South WestMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 27 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85563More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to allocate funding to the Great South West Partnership after April 2026.
Answer: Following a four week public consultation, in March 2025 the government announced its intention to end funding for Pan-Regional Partnerships, with an exceptional, time-limited award of £281,250 for the Great South West Pan-Regional Partnership for the 202...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: NegligenceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84878More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the amount paid by his Department in clinical negligence costs.
Answer: The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the National Health Service in England are of great concern to the Government. Costs have more than doubled in the last 10 years and are forecast to continue rising, putting further pressure on NHS fi...
Answered 6 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordHospices: ContractsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84877More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that NHS contracts with hospices reflect the (a) cost of the services provided and (b) the needs of local populations.
Answer: Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services, to meet the needs of their local populations. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service spec...
Answered 21 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordRussia: SanctionsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 906056More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her European counterparts on collective sanctions against Russia.
Answer: Exerting maximum economic pressure on Russia is a central part of our support for Ukraine, and our best tool to force Putin to de-escalate the war and engage in meaningful talks. The UK continues to lead international efforts, including coordination with ...
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPension CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 906021More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners have lost entitlement to Pension Credit as a result of their calculated entitlement being short by 50p or less.
Answer: The Department does not hold information about the total income and circumstances of all pensioners. That is why we ask people to apply for pension credit rather than being able to make awards automatically.
Answered 27 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordTelephone SystemsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 20 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83537More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the planned switchover from landlines to digital technologies by January 2027 on rural households without broadband.
Answer: The Government is committed to ensuring any risks arising from the industry-led migration of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are mitigated for all customers. No formal assessment has been made of the imp...
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordBus Services: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 20 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83530More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) increasing the level of funding available for demand responsive transport and (b) introducing bus concessions for people up to the age of 22.
Answer: The Government knows how important affordable and reliable bus services are in enabling people to access education, work and vital services, and we are committed to delivering better bus services, including in rural areas right across the country. As part...
Answered 24 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordDisadvantaged: Rural AreasMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77855More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of changing the English indices of deprivation to include rurality as a factor.
Answer: The most recent iteration of the English Indices of Deprivation was published in September 2019 and all data tables and resources are available online here - https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-indices-of-deprivation-2019 The department is cu...
Answered 13 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCrime: Rural AreasHome OfficeTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77854More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of funding for specialised rural crime teams.
Answer: Rural crime can also have devastating consequences for countryside communities and the agricultural sector. This financial year we are providing the first Home Office funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit, a national policing unit which hel...
Answered 13 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordValuation Office Agency: StandardsTreasuryTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77853More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the size of the backlog on Valuation Office Agency decisions.
Answer: The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) is working as quickly as possible to clear cases, and moving staff to where there is the greatest customer demand. The VOA is focusing on the oldest cases first, and where customers are facing financial hardship. The VOA ...
Answered 13 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRetail Trade: Health and SafetyDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 3 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 74723More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has had recent discussions with retailers on the safety and security of people who are lone working in stores.
Answer: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has the policy lead for workplace health and safety in Great Britain. However, the primary responsibility for managing risk to health and safety lies with employers. An employer is the person or organisation that is l...
Answered 9 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordSupported HousingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 73992More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that supported housing demand is met.
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Questions UIN 69642 on 4 September 2025.
Answered 9 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordMaternity Services: StandardsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 73938More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve the quality of maternity care.
Answer: While there are outstanding examples of care in NHS maternity services, we know this is not the experience that all women have, and there are significant issues that need addressing.The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care recently announced an i...
Answered 15 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPoverty: ChildrenDepartment for EducationTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 73934More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure adequate external scrutiny of the Child Poverty Strategy.
Answer: The Child Poverty Taskforce, of which my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education is co-chair, has undertaken an extensive programme of engagement with families, charities, campaigners and leading organisations across the UK to shape and in...
Answered 9 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPets: Disease ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 73859More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to tackle human health risks associated with spot on pet treatments containing (a) fipronil and (b) imidacloprid.
Answer: Veterinary Medicinal Products (VMPs) undergo a thorough assessment by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) before they are authorised for marketing in the UK. This includes a product-specific user risk assessment that considers all those that may co...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordFarmers: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 73843More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to increase levels of funding available for farmers.
Answer: We have allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament. We are investing more than £2.7 billion a year in farming and nature recovery, the largest budget for sustainable food production in our country’s hi...
Answered 19 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordFood SupplyDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 73842More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support food security.
Answer: Food security is national security. We need a resilient and healthy food system, that works with nature and supports British farmers, fishers and food producers. As part of the Government’s Plan for Change we are delivering on the Government’s New Deal fo...
Answered 19 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordCrime: Rural AreasAttorney GeneralTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 73841More
Question: To ask the Solicitor General, what steps she is taking to help ensure the effective prosecution of rural crime.
Answer: This Government is committed to working with the police and other partners to address the blight of rural crime.The National Police Chiefs’ Council Wildlife and Rural Crime Strategy 2022-2025 provides a framework through which policing, and its partners, ...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordGender Based ViolenceWomen and EqualitiesTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 73840More
Question: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for the Home Department to tackle violence against women and girls.
Answer: Equalities Ministers and their officials are working closely with the Home Office, and other Government departments to develop a cross-government strategy on tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), to be published in the Autumn.
Answered 24 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPesticidesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 73839More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of including pet treatments as a significant source of pesticides as part of the UK Pesticides National Action Plan 2025.
Answer: The UK pesticides National Action Plan 2025 (NAP) was published in March 2025. The NAP relates to plant protection products and therefore does not cover pet treatments. The NAP introduces a UK domestic target to reduce the potential harm from pesticides t...
Answered 9 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordWater Companies: RegulationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 72550More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what interim regulatory measures will be introduced before a successor regulator to Ofwat is established.
Answer: This Government has put in place the building blocks to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas. We have increased accountability by giving the regulators more teeth through the Water (Special Measures) Act with a ban on unfair bonuses, severe and automatic p...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordSewers: Rural AreasDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 72549More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to apply sufficient (a) regulatory and (b) financial pressures on water and sewerage companies to ensure the provision of drainage connections to rural communit
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of having a robust drainage and wastewater system both now and for future demand. As part of the Environment Act 2021, a new duty has been created for sewerage undertakers in England and Wales to produce Drainage a...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPets: Disease ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 72489More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will consider the human health risks to (a) children and (b) adults of spot on pet treatments containing (i) fipronil and (ii) imidacloprid; and if he will take steps to address
Answer: Veterinary Medicinal Products (VMPs) undergo a thorough assessment by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) before they are authorised for marketing in the UK. This includes a product-specific user risk assessment that considers all those that may co...
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament record
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