Rachel Gilmour MP: written questions 2025
159 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Rivers: StandardsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99090More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish the latest data on the ecological status of rivers across the UK.
Answer: The Environment Agency (EA) is preparing the next update of water body classifications which underpin river basin management plans and guide investment decisions.
Answered 16 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordFamily Courts: AppealsMinistry of JusticeTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99023More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the removal of the right of appeal escalatory route from the Family Court judges to the High Court on judicial oversight accountability.
Answer: The Government has no plans to remove any rights of appeal route from family court judges to the High Court, nor has it made an assessment of the potential impact of such a change on judicial oversight and accountability.
Answered 22 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordCancer: DiagnosisDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 8 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98093More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve early cancer diagnosis rates.
Answer: Early cancer diagnosis is a key priority for the Government, as the chances of survival are higher if cancer is diagnosed at an early stage.The Department recognises that cancer patients are often waiting too long for referral and treatment. As the first ...
Answered 5 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAnimal ExperimentsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 27 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95285More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will commit to introducing Herbie's Law.
Answer: The UK’s legal framework already requires that animals are only used in science where no validated alternatives exist, and we are accelerating efforts to develop and adopt these alternatives. The Government’s new strategy sets out a long-term vision for a...
Answered 5 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordPalm Oil: Sustainable DevelopmentDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 19 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92727More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to promote the awareness and use of sustainable palm oil.
Answer: The Government is committed to supporting sustainable production, trade, and use of palm oil. Leading by example, the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services require in-scope public sector procurers to ensure that all palm oil(including...
Answered 4 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordRobots: Regulation and SafetyDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92403More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, further to the research and analysis entitled Rapid Technology Assessment: Humanoids, published on 10 March 2025, whether her Department plans to introduce a regulatory framework or min
Answer: The UK Government are taking robust action to ensure new and existing technologies in the UK are Secure by Design. The Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act requires manufacturers, importers and retailers to ensure consumer IoT produc...
Answered 26 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS Trusts: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92389More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his department is taking to help ensure trusts have sufficient access to operational capital funding to repair buildings, replace old equipment, and provide a suitable environment for pa
Answer: The Government is committed to delivering a National Health Service that is fit for the future through our 10-Year Health Plan, and we recognise the importance of supporting NHS trusts to manage and maintain their estates using operational capital allocat...
Answered 26 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth and Leisure Centres: FinanceDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92369More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the (a) adequacy of funding for leisure and health centres and (b) potential impact of those funding levels on fitness and wellbeing.
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to sports facilities, including leisure centres, which are vital spaces for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy, and which play an important role within communities across the count...
Answered 26 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordCountryside: WalkingDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89178More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of (a) Health and Safety Executive regulations on the interaction between walkers and cattle and (b) how those regulations are communicated to (i) farmers a
Answer: Health and safety legislation places a duty on farmers to manage the risk to the public from cattle as far as it is reasonable to do so. The nature of modern health and safety legislation is largely goalsetting, rather than prescriptive. This is important...
Answered 19 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordDriving 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 record
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