Rupert Lowe MP: written questions 2025
1378 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Public Bodies: RecruitmentWomen and EqualitiesTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84095More
Question: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether her Department provides guidance to public bodies on ensuring that positive action does not result in unlawful discrimination against white applicants.
Answer: Section 158 of the Equality Act 2010 permits the use of positive action measures to alleviate disadvantages experienced by people who share a protected characteristic, reduce their under-representation in relation to particular activities, and meet their ...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84094More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate she has made of the number of farms that could be affected by proposed changes to inheritance tax.
Answer: The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, fixing the public finances, and funding public services. The reforms reduce t...
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylumHome OfficeTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84090More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria her Department uses to define constructive dialogue with NGOs in relation to the National Asylum Stakeholder Forum.
Answer: When engaging with the National Asylum Stakeholder Forum (NASF) and Strategic Engagement Group (SEG), minutes are taken at these meetings. There are no criteria defining ‘constructive dialogue’ with NGOs.A list of non-governmental organisations who attend...
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HousingHome OfficeTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84088More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has undertaken any formal risk assessments which have concluded that the disclosure of meeting records with NGOs on asylum accommodation policy would endanger the safety of (a)
Answer: When engaging with the National Asylum Stakeholder Forum (NASF) and Strategic Engagement Group (SEG), minutes are taken at these meetings. There are no criteria defining ‘constructive dialogue’ with NGOs.A list of non-governmental organisations who attend...
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHome Office: Freedom of InformationHome OfficeTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84086More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many freedom of information requests have been refused by her Department under section (a) 36 (b) 38 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 on grounds relating to (i) asylum policy and (ii) stakeh
Answer: When engaging with the National Asylum Stakeholder Forum (NASF) and Strategic Engagement Group (SEG), minutes are taken at these meetings. There are no criteria defining ‘constructive dialogue’ with NGOs.A list of non-governmental organisations who attend...
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylumHome OfficeTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84085More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department keeps formal (a) minutes and (b) other records of meetings of the National Asylum Stakeholder Forum and Strategic Engagement Group.
Answer: When engaging with the National Asylum Stakeholder Forum (NASF) and Strategic Engagement Group (SEG), minutes are taken at these meetings. There are no criteria defining ‘constructive dialogue’ with NGOs.A list of non-governmental organisations who attend...
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylumHome OfficeTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84083More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish a list of non-governmental organisations who attended meetings of the National Asylum Stakeholder Forum and Strategic Employment Group since January 2023.
Answer: When engaging with the National Asylum Stakeholder Forum (NASF) and Strategic Engagement Group (SEG), minutes are taken at these meetings. There are no criteria defining ‘constructive dialogue’ with NGOs.A list of non-governmental organisations who attend...
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRefugeesHome OfficeTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84082More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many refugees there are by nationality.
Answer: The information you have requested is published in the Immigration system statistics quarterly release - GOV.UK. Data on asylum seekers who have been granted refugee permission at initial decision is published in table Asy_D02 of the asylum detailed datas...
Answered 27 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRefugees: EmploymentHome OfficeTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84081More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the employment rate of refugees in each of the last ten years.
Answer: The Home Office recently published “Refugee Integration Outcomes (RIO) Insights: Embarks, Economic Activity, and Housing between 2015 and 2021” on GOV.UK. This article presents analysis—including employment rate—from linked Census 2021 and administrative ...
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: ApplicationsHome OfficeTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84077More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the initial grant rate of asylum applications by the (a) ethnicity (b) nationality of the decision makers.
Answer: The Home Office collates and publishes diversity data on staff, this can be accessed via Home Office workforce diversity statistics - GOV.UK.However, the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at dispr...
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordElections: NorfolkMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 20 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83686More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to ensure that the local elections in Norfolk take place on 7 May 2026.
Answer: The starting point is for all elections to go ahead, unless there is strong justification. We intend for the mayoral election for the new strategic authority to take place in May 2026, alongside the scheduled elections to Norwich City Council and the Coun...
Answered 23 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: OverpaymentsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 20 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83656More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much was overpaid to Universal Credit recipients in each of the last ten financial years.
Answer: This information was published earlier this year and can be found via the following link:Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2024 to 2025 estimates - GOV.UK.
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: DeathDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 20 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83655More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total amount of Universal Credit was paid to deceased recipients in each of the last ten financial years.
Answer: DWP does not hold this information over the requested period. DWP has operational data used to identify and recover UC overpayments from deceased recipients, although this does not cover the full time period requested and is not considered to be of suitab...
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPolice: Political ImpartialityHome OfficeTabled 20 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83653More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has issued to police forces on maintaining political neutrality whilst on duty.
Answer: All police officers are required by law to act with impartiality in discharging their duties, under the Police Regulations 2003. This is underlined in the oath of attestation that all police officers personally take on appointment and the Policing Protoco...
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordUndocumented Migrants: HotelsHome OfficeTabled 20 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83631More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, How many hotels are being used as contingency accommodation for irregular migrants as at 20 October 2025.
Answer: The Home Office has been clear that the use of hotels is a temporary and short-term measure to ensure we meet our statutory obligation to accommodate destitute asylum seekers, while we tackle the systemic challenges due to the previous government’s decisi...
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFarms: Domestic VisitsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 20 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83629More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many visits to farms have been undertaken by (a) the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (b) the Minister of State for Food Security and Rural Affairs since
Answer: Defra Ministers regularly visit a range of farms across the UK, and meet with farming stakeholders in London and on site to hear directly from industry.
Answered 2 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRefugees: Social Rented HousingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 20 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83627More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many people with refugee status are resident in (a) council and (b) social housing by local authority.
Answer: My Department does not hold information on people claiming council or social housing who were formally granted refugee status and/or settlement. Our social housing lettings in England statistical series, which can be found on gov.uk here, includes informa...
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: RefugeesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 20 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83626More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the public purse was of Universal Credit payments made to people with refugee status in each of the last ten financial years.
Answer: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Answered 27 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFood: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 20 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83625More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions (a) his Department and (b) the Food Standards Agency have had since January 2023 with (a) the Carbon Trust and (b) major food retailers on the introduction of carbon r
Answer: Eco-labels on food are used by some businesses on a voluntary basis to help consumers make more sustainable choices. Eco-labels based on robust environmental impact data could support informed consumer choices and business competition based on sustainabil...
Answered 24 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordSlaughterhouses: Animal WelfareDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 20 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83623More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many slaughterhouses were (a) suspended and (b) permanently closed due to breaches of animal welfare regulations in each calendar year from 2015 to 2025; how many (i) improvement notices, (ii)
Answer: In 2015, two slaughterhouses had approval withdrawn. In 2016, one slaughterhouse had approval withdrawn. In 2017, one slaughterhouse had approval withdrawn and two had approval suspended.The reasons for the withdrawals and suspensions between 2015 and 201...
Answered 19 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordOffences against Children: InquiriesHome OfficeTabled 20 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83605More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has had (a) discussions and (b) correspondence with Oldham Council on the proposed grooming gang inquiry since January 2024; and whether her Department has issued any guidance t
Answer: In June this year, Baroness Casey published her independent audit into group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse, and the Government accepted every recommendation it made, including establishing a new national inquiry. The national inquiry, equipped...
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRight to Buy Scheme: Foreign NationalsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 20 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83604More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department records the (a) nationality and (b) immigration status of tenants who purchase their homes under the Right to Buy scheme; and how many Right to Buy sales h
Answer: My Department does not record the nationality or immigration status of tenants who have purchased their homes under the Right to Buy scheme, nor how many Right to Buy sales have been made to non-British nationals. Eligibility for social housing is already...
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRadicalism and TerrorismHome OfficeTabled 20 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83603More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the (a) age, (b) religion, (c) ethnicity and (d) country of birth of people (i) referred to the Prevent programme and (ii) convicted of terrorism-related offen
Answer: Prevent aims to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. It works to ensure that people who are susceptible to radicalisation are offered appropriate interventions and support, and that communities areWe have provided data for the fin...
Answered 31 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordMigrants: FinanceHome OfficeTabled 20 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83601More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has provided any (a) grants, (b) contracts and (c) other funding to (i) Stand Up to Racism, (ii) Unite the Union,(ii) Migrants Organise, (iv) the Joint Council for the Welfare o
Answer: Home Office made grant payments to the Refugee Council totalling £ 3.2m for the purpose of Children’s Advisory Projects to support Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) through the asylum process., with a further £ 215,244 for Asylum Seeker Mental ...
Answered 13 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Care Services: Tax EvasionTreasuryTabled 20 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83600More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many compliance investigations were (a) opened and (b) closed by HM Revenue and Customs on businesses classified under Standard Industrial Classification codes (a) 96020 (hairdressing and barbering) and (b) 9609
Answer: HMRC does not hold specific data showing the number of hairdressers and nail salons investigated for tax non-compliance. HMRC’s approach to tax compliance includes a range of activities that aim to both detect and tackle current non-compliance and change ...
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament record
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