Rachel Gilmour MP: written questions 2025
159 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Non-teaching Staff: PayDepartment for EducationTabled 22 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54499More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the level of pay for non-teaching staff in further education.
Answer: This government recognises the vital role non-teaching staff play within the further education (FE) sector, helping colleges to provide support to young people at a critical stage in their education.FE colleges, rather than government, are responsible for...
Answered 3 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordSecondary Education: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 22 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54498More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the level of funding for state secondary schools.
Answer: The overall core schools budget is increasing by £3.7 billion in 2025/26, meaning that it will total £65.3 billion, compared to £61.6 billion in 2024/25. This is a 6% overall increase which, against the backdrop of a challenging fiscal picture, demonstrat...
Answered 5 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordSchools: Mental Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 22 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54497More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of consulting with experts from the voluntary support sector during the (a) planning for and (b) piloting of mental health support teams in
Answer: As set out in the NHS Operational Planning Guidance 2025/26, integrated care boards are responsible for planning and implementing mental health support teams. Since the inception of the programme, guidance to local commissioners has been to engage with lo...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordAffordable HousingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 21 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54208More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to legally redefine the term affordable housing to be linked to social rent.
Answer: To reflect this government’s priorities, the revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 places greater emphasis on the delivery of Social Rent homes and includes a separate definition of Social Rent so that it is not referred...
Answered 6 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordDental Services: EpilepsyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54203More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing medical exemptions to access NHS care for dental injuries caused as a result of epileptic seizures.
Answer: There are currently no plans to extend the list of people eligible for free National Health Service dental care to include those with dental injuries caused by epileptic seizures. Free NHS dental care is available to people who meet one of the following c...
Answered 2 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordGaza and Occupied Territories: IsraelForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 20 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53755More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Oral Statement of 20 May 2025 on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Official Report, what discussions he has had with (a) his Israeli coun
Answer: On 20 May, I summoned the Israeli Ambassador to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and made clear the UK's opposition to expanded military operations in Gaza and rising violence & intimidation by Israeli settlers against Palestinian comm...
Answered 11 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordSmall Businesses: Employers' ContributionsTreasuryTabled 20 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53754More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of the increase in employer National Insurance contributions on independent businesses in rural constituencies.
Answer: A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer National Insurance contributions (NICs). The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of ...
Answered 28 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPowers of Attorney: Care HomesMinistry of JusticeTabled 20 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53753More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the appropriateness of the duties of care homes in relation to Lasting Powers of Attorney for residents.
Answer: Evidence indicates the overall scale of abuse using lasting powers of attorney (LPAs) is low. There were just over 8 million powers of attorney on the Office of the Public Guardian’s (OPG) register in 2023/24. It completed investigations into around 2,800...
Answered 28 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPowers of AttorneyMinistry of JusticeTabled 20 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53752More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Office of the Public Guardian in investigating a person with lasting power of attorney.
Answer: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has processes in place to review the performance of the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) and hold it to account. The MoJ reviews OPG performance through a system based on the Cabinet Office requirements for sponsorship of ...
Answered 28 May 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy: BillingDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 20 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53751More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if his Department will meet with Ofgem to discuss poor practice in the recouping of (a) missed and (b) underpaid payments in the energy sector.
Answer: The Department has regular meetings with Ofgem on a number of issues. The Government takes the issue of accurate billing very seriously. All suppliers must take all reasonable steps to reflect accurate meter readings in bills or statements sent to custome...
Answered 29 May 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 20 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53750More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will issue guidance on raising an issue of safety on a housing development where the operators are aware of the risks.
Answer: The Health and Safety Executive already provide guidance on raising health and safety issues in a workplace or public space. This can be found on their website www.hse.gov.uk/contact/tell-us-about-a-health-and-safety-issue.htm
Answered 29 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundDepartment for EducationTabled 20 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53749More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she made an assessment of the potential impact of removing the match-funding provision through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund on children in adoptive and kinship care before announci
Answer: I refer the hon. Member for Tiverton and Minehead to the answer of 13 May 2025 to Question 49523.
Answered 29 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundDepartment for EducationTabled 20 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53748More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the decision to cap the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund on children in adoptive and kinship care.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member for Tiverton and Minehead to the answer of 13 May 2025 to Question 49523.
Answered 29 May 2025
Original Parliament recordGP Surgeries and Hospitals: Power FailuresDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 20 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53747More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the provision of emergency back up generators in rural (a) hospitals and (b) GP surgeries.
Answer: No national assessment has been made of the provision of emergency backup generators in hospitals and general practice surgeries. It is the responsibility of each National Health Service provider to have resilience plans and procedures in place.Guidance i...
Answered 2 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Houses: ExmoorDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 20 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53746More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will hold discussions with the Exmoor National Park Authority on the suitability of change of use applications for pubs on Exmoor.
Answer: Planning permission is always required to change use of a pub, ensuring that local consideration can be given to any such proposals through the planning application process, in consultation with the local community. Defra cannot comment on individual plan...
Answered 5 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordEducation: Rural AreasDepartment for EducationTabled 19 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53377More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help support rural (a) primary schools, (b) secondary schools and (c) further education colleges to recruit (i) sustainable and (ii) adequate levels of staff.
Answer: High-quality teaching is the in-school factor that has the biggest positive impact on a child and young person’s outcome in schools and colleges. Recruiting and retaining more qualified, expert teachers is critical to the government’s mission to break dow...
Answered 28 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundDepartment for EducationTabled 19 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53376More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with which organisations her Department held discussions on changes to the level of funding provided through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund.
Answer: The government is investing an extra £680 million for mental health services, recruiting 8,500 extra mental health workers. Through our Plan for Change, we will tackle the mental health crisis and give every child a healthy start to life.The adoption and ...
Answered 4 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundDepartment for EducationTabled 19 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53375More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of restoring the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund in the forthcoming spending review.
Answer: The government is investing an extra £680 million for mental health services, recruiting 8,500 extra mental health workers. Through our Plan for Change, we will tackle the mental health crisis and give every child a healthy start to life.The adoption and ...
Answered 4 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundDepartment for EducationTabled 19 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53374More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the capacity of (a) children and adolescent mental health services and (b) other services to support adopted and kinship cared children, in the context of the reductio
Answer: The government is investing an extra £680 million for mental health services, recruiting 8,500 extra mental health workers. Through our Plan for Change, we will tackle the mental health crisis and give every child a healthy start to life.The adoption and ...
Answered 4 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordGwyn JenkinsMinistry of DefenceTabled 19 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53373More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if his Department will make an assessment of the suitability of the appointment of General Sir Gwyn Jenkins as First Sea Lord.
Answer: General Jenkins is a proven leader with a distinguished career in both the military and at the core of Government. He brings with him a wealth of operational and organisational expertise and he will continue the modernisation of the Royal Navy, ensuring i...
Answered 28 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence Payment: AppealsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 19 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53372More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the (a) length in number of applicants and (b) duration of time of the backlog in Personal Independence Payment awards for appeals where a decision was previously made.
Answer: As of April 2025, a total of 8,900 appeals are currently in progress. This figure has been rounded to the nearest 100. DWP is not solely responsible for appeals wait time. Appeals are lodged by claimants with His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service (H...
Answered 27 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence PaymentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 19 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53371More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the (a) length in number of applicants and (b) duration of time of the backlog in Personal Independence Payment awards.
Answer: As at the end of January 2025, a total of 265,000 New Claims were in progress. This figure has been rounded to the nearest 1,000.For the average clearance times in median weeks for New Claims under Normal Rules, please see the Personal Independence Paymen...
Answered 27 May 2025
Original Parliament recordWater: PollutionDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52954More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on confirmed cases of waterborne illness linked to exposure to (a) Salmonella and (b) Leptospira at UK bathing waters since 2020.
Answer: There have been no reported outbreaks of salmonella spp. associated with recreational water use in the time period requested since 2020.The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) undertakes surveillance of Salmonella spp. infections. No information is availabl...
Answered 27 May 2025
Original Parliament recordWater: Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 16 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52953More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average time was between a pollution discharge notification and a public bathing water quality warning being issued during the 2024 season.
Answer: The Environment Agency (EA) does not record the time between notifying a Local Authority of a pollution incident that may affect a bathing water and how long it then takes the Local Authority, who have the responsibility for notifications being put up at ...
Answered 22 May 2025
Original Parliament recordWater CompaniesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 16 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52952More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with water companies on expanding the usage of community testing.
Answer: The Environment Agency (EA) engages with citizen science groups on a site-by-site basis regarding bathing waters along with water companies who do the same. The EA uses citizen science data to provide supplementary insights. Citizen science initiatives fo...
Answered 5 Jun 2025
Original Parliament record
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