Rachel Gilmour MP: written questions 2025
159 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Beaches: ClosuresDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 16 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52951More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of beach closures caused by pollution on tourism in coastal communities.
Answer: DCMS recognises the importance of clean and accessible beaches to the tourism offer in coastal communities.For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage which affect coastal beaches.That is why the Water (Special Measures) Ac...
Answered 2 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordTemporary Accommodation: FinanceMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 12 May 2025AnsweredUIN 51683More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to reduce the cost of temporary accommodation for local authorities through the Spending Review.
Answer: At phase 1 of the Spending Review the Government announced a £233 million increase for homelessness services, taking total spend to nearly £1 billion in 2025/26. This includes the largest-ever investment in prevention services, enabling councils to interv...
Answered 19 May 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Rented HousingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 12 May 2025AnsweredUIN 51682More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help increase social housing supply through the Spending Review.
Answer: The government will set out set details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme at the Spending Review. This new investment will deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and homeownership, with a particular focus on deliverin...
Answered 19 May 2025
Original Parliament recordFood Supply and PovertyDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 1 May 2025AnsweredUIN 49864More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the potential cost to the public purse of (a) food insecurity and (b) economic hardship.
Answer: It is unacceptable that people are falling into hardship and using foodbanks. This is why we have committed to tackling poverty and ending mass dependence on emergency food parcels. Our plan for Making Work Pay and our Get Britain Working White Paper, alo...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Planning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48763More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of restricting permitted development rights for (a) caravans and (b) temporary installations on agricultural land to cases
Answer: The government continues to keep permitted development rights under review.
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: SomersetDepartment for TransportTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48762More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of the Strategic Outline Business Case by West Somerset Railway for linking Bishops Lydeard and Taunton.
Answer: The Government believes that local authorities are best placed to decide on, and take forward, transport schemes that will most benefit their local areas. The Department does not currently have any plans to take forward development of Bishops Lydeard and...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordEssential Tremor: ResearchDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48021More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase levels of funding for research into essential tremors.
Answer: The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR is supporting research that involves essential tremors and has awarded £2,814,334 for related studies in the last five years. The NIHR welcomes fund...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47508More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to publish (a) an arthritis action plan and (b) other disease-specific action plans following publication of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan.
Answer: There are currently no plans to publish an arthritis action plan following the publication of the 10-Year Health Plan.Services for those with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, including arthritis, are commissioned locally by integrated care boards (ICBs)....
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordArthritis: ExerciseDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47507More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help people with arthritis to stay physically active.
Answer: Guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on the diagnosis and management of osteoarthritis recommends therapeutic exercise for all people with osteoarthritis that is tailored to their needs and that is part of a wider st...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordChildren: Social ServicesDepartment for EducationTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47506More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to provide support to parents who have had children removed into the care system; and what support is available to help those parents maintain or develop a relationship with
Answer: The children’s social care national framework and ‘Working together to safeguard children’ statutory guidance is clear that children should be raised by their families, within their family networks or in family environments wherever possible. The departme...
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPharmacyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47505More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take through the 10 Year Health Plan to support community pharmacies.
Answer: The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and community pharmacies will have a big role to play in that s...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPharmacy: ClosuresDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47504More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent community pharmacy closures in (a) rural and (b) deprived areas.
Answer: Pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system, and the Government recognises the integral role they play within our communities, as an easily accessible ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare ...
Answered 16 May 2025
Original Parliament recordSewage: Tiverton and MineheadDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47503More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the number of sewage discharges into waterbodies in Tiverton and Minehead constituency; and what steps he is taking to ensure that co
Answer: For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas. That is why we are placing water companies under special measures through the Water (Special Measures) Act. The Act will drive meaningful improvem...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: ChildrenDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47068More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she make an assessment of the adequacy of levels of welfare support for children within married families.
Answer: We will bring in a permanent, above inflation, rise to the standard allowance in Universal Credit for the first time ever by raising the standard allowance above inflation from 2026/27 until 2029/30. This is in stark contrast to the freeze between 2016/17...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordArts: South WestDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47067More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she considered including the West Somerset Opportunity Area in the South West region for the DCMS Create Growth Programme Competition 4.
Answer: The Create Growth Programme supports high-growth creative businesses and SMEs in twelve English regions outside London to scale up and become investment ready. This is delivered through three strands of support - bespoke business support, financial suppor...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordOut of Area TreatmentDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46488More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the discharge process on patients in cross-county areas.
Answer: Enabling people to be discharged from hospital more quickly and with the right support contributes to speedier recovery and better outcomes. In some instances, this may mean discharging a patient outside of their local area so that they can receive the mo...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCattle: Walls and FencesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46487More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, who is (a) responsible for the installation of fencing to keep cattle safely grazing and (b) liable if the fence breaks and a member of the public is injured by cattle.
Answer: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety, this includes workplace health and safety risks created in agriculture. The main piece of health and safety legislation enforced by HSE is the Health an...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordBovine Tuberculosis: ExmoorDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46486More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will review the spread of tuberculosis in cattle on Exmoor.
Answer: Our Bovine TB Strategy is underpinned by robust routine and targeted testing of all cattle herds in England, restricting cattle movements from infected premises and detecting and removing all test positive cattle. This strategy is enhanced by statutory pr...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPine Martens: ExmoorDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46485More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the reintroduction of pine martens project on Exmoor.
Answer: No assessment has been made of the effectiveness of reintroductions of pine martens project on Exmoor as the release of pine martens on Exmoor is yet to take place. Devon Wildlife Trust, as part of their pine marten reintroduction project, have released p...
Answered 24 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordChildminding: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46484More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of funding for childminding providers.
Answer: It is the department’s ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and this is key to the government’s Plan for Change. That also means ensuring the se...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordTeachers: TrainingDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46483More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve financial support for student parents undergoing teacher training and not earning a salary.
Answer: Students attending full-time undergraduate courses and PGCE courses with child dependants qualify for a partially means-tested loan for living costs, a means-tested Childcare Grant, payable towards childcare costs for registered or approved childcare, and...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordStudents: ChildcareDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46482More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of childcare funding policies for parents in higher education.
Answer: Students attending full-time undergraduate courses and PGCE courses with child dependants qualify for a partially means-tested loan for living costs, a means-tested Childcare Grant, payable towards childcare costs for registered or approved childcare, and...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordClozapine: Side EffectsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45332More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies the (a) side effects and (b) long-term health implications of the use of clozapine as a medicament.
Answer: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) regulates medicines and medicinal products and ensures that the product information for each medicines reflects what is known about the medicine and provides information to support safe use an...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordProperty Management Companies: Bank ServicesTreasuryTabled 3 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44037More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the change in banks' policies on block management accounts on people who own apartment buildings.
Answer: The Government is aware of ongoing action taken by some banks to restrict their services in respect of pooled client accounts, which may include block management accounts. We understand the difficulties this can cause for those whose accounts have been cl...
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNational Parks: Planning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42133More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of planning applications without clear necessity on the boundaries of national parks on those areas.
Answer: The government has made no such assessment. Impacts of development on National Parks are assessed by local planning authorities.National Park authorities are the local planning authority within the National Park and are a statutory consultee for planning ...
Answered 4 Apr 2025
Original Parliament record
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