Robin Swann MP: written questions 2024
50 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Northern Ireland WaterDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20749More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will hold discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on the regulation of Northern Ireland Water.
Answer: Water policy and regulation in Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in the Northern Ireland Executive. However, there are regular opportunities for ministerial discussions on a wide range of...
Answered 6 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordConsumer Goods: SafetyDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 16 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20542More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has had discussions with online sales platforms on guidance on implementation of the General Product Safety Regulation.
Answer: Ministerial colleagues in the Department and I undertake regular engagement with businesses, including online marketplaces and those who sell products online, to listen to their concerns. In addition, officials in my Department have regular discussions wi...
Answered 19 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordEU External Trade: South AmericaDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 9 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18833More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the trade agreement between the EU and Mercusor on (a) food producers and (b) farmers in Northern Ireland.
Answer: The department has not made an assessment of the trade agreement between the EU and Mercusor. The department continuously monitors agri-food markets through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group.
Answered 17 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordAnimal Welfare: ProsecutionsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 5 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18303More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many prosecutions there have been under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2019.
Answer: Responsibility for enforcing the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 lies with English local authorities. Local authorities may keep records of individual enforcement activity, including cases that have le...
Answered 23 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordMidwives: Northern IrelandDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17714More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of Professor Mary Renfrew's report entitled Enabling Safe Quality Midwifery Services and Care In Northern Ireland, publish
Answer: Improving maternity and neonatal care remains a priority for the Government. Whilst health is a devolved matter, there will be shared challenges and opportunities for improvement, so we are considering the report to help inform our next steps. A formal as...
Answered 9 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordListed Places of Worship Grant SchemeDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17444More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what her policy is on future funding arrangements for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.
Answer: Departmental settlements have been set following the Budget announcement on October 30. Individual programmes will now be assessed during the departmental Business Planning process.
Answered 6 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordFreehold and Leasehold: Northern IrelandMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 2 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 17443More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has had discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on legislation on (a) leasehold and (b) freehold affecting properties in Northern Ireland.
Answer: The department regularly engages with the Northern Ireland Executive on a range of policy areas including housing. Recently this has included ministerial attendance of the British Irish Council's Planning and Places meeting in November, as well as through...
Answered 6 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordMilitary Aid: StormsMinistry of DefenceTabled 26 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 16379More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any Military Aid to the Civil Authorities requests have been made as a result of storm Bert.
Answer: No.
Answered 29 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordNorthern Ireland Office: Domestic VisitsNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 13 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 14268More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2024 to Question 13304 on Northern Ireland Office: Domestic Visits, what steps he is taking to ensure the process is followed.
Answer: Members of Parliament are notified in advance of Ministerial visits to their constituency. On a recent occasion, a typographical error in an email meant that the Honourable Member’s constituency office was not notified correctly. The Northern Ireland Offi...
Answered 18 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: Northern IrelandDepartment for TransportTabled 12 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13858More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will have discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on (a) establishing a watchdog to regulate the cost of charging electric vehicles and (b) encouraging electric vehicle use.
Answer: We are committed to the transition from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to electric vehicles, as this will drive economic growth, help the UK meet its climate change obligations and improve air quality. To support that transition, the Department...
Answered 19 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordNorthern Ireland Office: Domestic VisitsNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 8 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13304More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what his policy is on notifying an hon. Member before visiting their constituency.
Answer: The policy is to notify Members of Parliament in advance of visiting their constituency.
Answered 13 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordAirports: DisabilityDepartment for TransportTabled 31 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 12186More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish a breakdown of funding for passengers with reduced mobility services at United Kingdom airports provided by her Department.
Answer: Under the UK law, the managing body of the airport is responsible for ensuring the provision of free assistance, for disabled or less mobile passengers. The UK aviation sector operates in a private market, therefore the sector is responsible for funding t...
Answered 5 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordNHSDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11523More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2024 to Question 10393 on NHS, whether the Health Minister in each devolved Administration is a working level contact.
Answer: An interministerial group meeting is currently being diarised for December 2024. At this meeting, all of the Health Ministers from across the United Kingdom will convene to discuss the 10-Year Health Plan in further detail, including any opportunities for...
Answered 4 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordNHSDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10393More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Government issues rallying cry to the nation to help fix NHS, published on 21 October 2024, whether he plans to have discussions with the d
Answer: Department officials working on the 10-Year Health Plan have had, and will continue to have, meetings with working level contacts in each of the devolved administrations. These conversations will continue to explore how best to identify potential areas of...
Answered 28 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordDrugs: Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 21 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10344More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps the Government are taking to ensure the continued supply of medicines to Northern Ireland, in the context of the implementation of the Windsor Framework.
Answer: The Windsor Framework secures the long-term stability of medicines supply to Northern Ireland, ensuring that medicines will be available in the same packaging and with a single licence across the UK, reflecting the long standing preference of industry. Th...
Answered 24 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordCancerTreasuryTabled 21 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10281More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to bring forward proposals to counter financial discrimination against cancer survivors.
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of access to useful and appropriate financial products. We work closely with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the independent regulator of the UK's financial services sector, to ensure that customers are trea...
Answered 24 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordCredit: Northern IrelandTreasuryTabled 21 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10280More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Consumer Credit Directive, which came into force in Northern Ireland on 23 November 2023, on cancer patients and their families.
Answer: The European Union’s Consumer Credit Directive 2008 was implemented into UK law in 2010. In November 2023, the EU passed a new Consumer Credit Directive that will replace the previous Directive and which Member States must transpose into domestic law by N...
Answered 24 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 21 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10240More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has agricultural property relief been worth in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years.
Answer: HMRC holds the information of those estates which make claims for Agricultural Property Relief (APR) within its digital administrative systems if the estate was taxpaying, or could be taxpaying after compliance checks have been performed. It does not hold...
Answered 24 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordMotor Insurance Taskforce: Northern IrelandDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9859More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the cross-Government Taskforce on motor insurance will include representation from Northern Ireland.
Answer: We recognise that the concerns the Taskforce will work on are shared across the UK. Therefore, we have proposed a meeting of the Taskforce that includes representatives from the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive to discu...
Answered 22 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordLivestock: ManureDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 14 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 8986More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken with external stakeholders to remove excess phosphorus from cattle and pig slurry.
Answer: A recent £15 million round of the Farming Innovation Programme focussed on nutrient management, funding research projects to develop ideas and technology enabling farmers to manage their inputs and reduce environmental risk more effectively. Managing and ...
Answered 17 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordSalmon: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 14 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 8985More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to protect the wild salmon population.
Answer: This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Between 2019 and 2023, the Environment Agency mitigated 58 barriers to fish passage on England’s salmon rivers. The Environment Agency also manages salmon fisheries ...
Answered 17 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordInterTrade UKNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 9 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 8394More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the (a) contact details, (b) office address, (c) staffing complement and (d) operating budget of Intertrade UK is; and whether minutes of that body's meetings are published.
Answer: This Government is committed to implementing the Windsor Framework and taking all steps necessary to protect the UK internal market. To that end, I confirmed the appointment of Baroness Foster as Chair of Intertrade UK on 19 September. The body is in the ...
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordWindsor FrameworkNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 9 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 8393More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the (a) contact details, (b) office address, (c) staffing complement and (d) operating budget of the Windsor Framework Independent Monitoring Panel is; and whether minutes of that Panel's meetings a
Answer: This Government is committed to implementing the Windsor Framework and taking all steps necessary to protect the UK internal market. In support of that, I confirmed the appointment of Anna Jerzewska, Aidan Reilly and Alastair Hamilton as the Windsor Frame...
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordRoads: SafetyDepartment for TransportTabled 8 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 8083More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her planned timetable is for laying the secondary legislation required to commence section 19 of the Road Safety Act 2006.
Answer: Ministers are giving consideration to this matter. An update will be provided in due course.
Answered 11 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordVeterinary Surgeons Act 1966Department for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 7689More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to reform the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966.
Answer: The Government is aware of the calls for legislative changes within the veterinary industry. Officials are working closely with stakeholders to consider all options to support the sector.
Answered 14 Oct 2024
Original Parliament record
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