Rupert Lowe MP: written questions 2025
1378 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Remote WorkingDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 2 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64661More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many staff in his Department have permission to work remotely outside the UK; and in which countries those staff are based.
Answer: As at 2 July 2025, 7 DSIT employees, who are all UK-based, have exceptionally been given permission to work remotely outside of the UK for a limited period. The countries are: Ghana, United States of America, Italy, Belgium, Sweden and Germany. Permission...
Answered 10 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Remote WorkingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64660More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff in his Department have permission to work remotely outside the UK; and in which countries those staff are based.
Answer: Information on civil servants employed by Defra based overseas is publicly available.
Answered 6 Aug 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Energy Security and Net Zero: Remote WorkingDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 2 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64659More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many staff in his Department have permission to work remotely outside the UK; and in which countries those staff are based.
Answer: As at 2 July 2025, 10 DESNZ employees, who are all UK-based, have exceptionally been given permission to work remotely outside of the UK for a limited period. The countries are Thailand, Botswana, Barbados, India, Slovenia, United States of America, Franc...
Answered 10 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Education: Remote WorkingDepartment for EducationTabled 2 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64658More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many staff in her Department have permission to work remotely outside the UK; and in which countries those staff are based.
Answer: Unless undertaking work in an official capacity, the department only permits overseas working in limited circumstances and for short periods of time. The department’s international remote working policy considers any country outside of England, Scotland, ...
Answered 10 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Culture, Media and Sport: Remote WorkingDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 2 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64657More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many staff in her Department have permission to work remotely outside the UK; and in which countries those staff are based.
Answer: DCMS does not allow any staff to work remotely outside of the UK on a permanent basis. Staff may be given time-limited permission to work overseas. Short term overseas approval granted from 1st January - 4th July 2025 are as follows:Travelling for busines...
Answered 18 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Business and Trade: Remote WorkingDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 2 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64656More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many staff in his Department have permission to work remotely outside the UK; and in which countries those staff are based.
Answer: Standard DBT policy is that staff should not normally be allowed to work remotely overseas however the department do permit this under exceptional personal circumstances and following/preceding a period of annual leave when visiting family or friends over...
Answered 10 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: Remote WorkingCabinet OfficeTabled 2 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64534More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many staff in his Department have permission to work remotely outside the UK; and in which countries those staff are based.
Answer: Cabinet Office staff may apply for permission to temporarily work remotely overseas in exceptional circumstances. Examples of this might include when accompanying a Civil Service or Armed Forces partner on an official posting. There are <5 staff regist...
Answered 10 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordAttorney General's Office: Remote WorkingAttorney GeneralTabled 2 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64533More
Question: To ask the Solicitor General, how many staff in her Department have permission to work remotely outside the UK; and in which countries those staff are based.
Answer: The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) does not have any staff working permanently outside the UK.
Answered 10 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordTaxis: VettingDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63359More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, ?what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on checking for overseas criminal records for prospective (a) taxi and (b) private hire vehicle licence holders who were born overseas.
Answer: The Policing and Crime Act 2017 enables the Secretary of State for Transport to issue statutory guidance to licensing authorities on exercising their taxi and private hire vehicle licensing functions to protect children and vulnerable adults. Statutory gu...
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordTaxis: CCTVDepartment for TransportTabled 26 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63187More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing legislation to ensure all (a) taxis and (c) private hire vehicles are fitted with CCTV.
Answer: In response to Baroness Casey’s report on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, the Government committed to legislate to address the important issues raised, tackling the inconsistent standards of taxi and private hire vehicle driver licensing....
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordTaxis: LicensingDepartment for TransportTabled 26 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63186More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing legislation or guidance to centralise data collection on licensed drivers' (a) immigration status and (b) criminal history.
Answer: The Immigration Act 2016 prevents illegal working in the taxi and private hire vehicle sector, as either a driver or an operator. Licensing authorities are prohibited from issuing a licence to anyone who is disqualified by reason of their immigration sta...
Answered 2 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordTaxis: ConvictionsHome OfficeTabled 26 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63184More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department holds on the convictions of licensed taxi drivers for (a) grooming, (b) sexual exploitation and (c) trafficking offences.
Answer: Available data on the age, ethnicity, gender and region of individuals prosecuted and convicted at criminal courts in England and Wales in the Ministry of Justice Outcomes by Offences data tool, can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landi...
Answered 8 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordTaxis: LicensingHome OfficeTabled 26 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63183More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what checks her Department carries out to verify the identity documents of migrants applying for taxi licences.
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer sent on the 20 May 2025 to UIN 51642.
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordTaxis: ArrestsHome OfficeTabled 26 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63181More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's process is for sharing intelligence with licensing authorities when a foreign national taxi driver is arrested.
Answer: As set out in the Department for Transport’s Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards, all applicants for a taxi or PHV driver’s licence, irrespective of nationality, should undergo an enhanced DBS check including a check of the children’s and ad...
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordTaxis: LicensingDepartment for TransportTabled 26 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63175More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the number of (a) unlicensed and (b) illegal taxi drivers operating in major cities.
Answer: The Department for Transport does not hold this data, as such vehicles are not operating within a legal framework.
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordTaxis: LicensingDepartment for TransportTabled 26 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63174More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the number of foreign nationals who hold (a) taxi and (b) private hire vehicle licences who have been deported due to criminal convictions in the last decade.
Answer: The Department for Transport does not hold information on the number of deportations due to criminal convictions.
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordTaxis: VettingDepartment for TransportTabled 26 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63173More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the number of councils that do not require enhanced DBS checks for (a) taxi and (b) private hire vehicle drivers.
Answer: As at 1 April 2024, all authorities in England reported that they required an enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) security check for taxi and private hire vehicle drivers.
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordTaxis: LicensingDepartment for TransportTabled 26 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63172More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, ?what information her Department holds on the number of (a) taxi and (b) private hire drivers who have had their licences revoked due to a criminal conviction in the last 10 years.
Answer: All licensing authorities in England have a duty to ensure that any person to whom they grant a taxi or private hire vehicle driver’s licence is a fit and proper person to be a licensee and that they remain so throughout the duration of the licence. Licen...
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordTaxis: LicensingDepartment for TransportTabled 26 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63171More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the number of (a) taxi and (b) private hire vehicle drivers that have (i) an overseas criminal conviction and (ii) been granted a licence in each of the last five years.
Answer: Licensing authorities may hold this information. As at 1 April 2024, all authorities in England reported that they required an enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) security check for all drivers. The statutory guidance issued by the Department f...
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordTaxis: LicensingDepartment for TransportTabled 26 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63170More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the number of licensed (a) taxi and (b) private hire drivers who are foreign nationals, broken down by their country of origin.
Answer: The Department for Transport does not collect that data. Licensing authorities may hold this information as part of the application processes to prevent illegal working as taxi or private hire vehicle drivers.
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordParliament: VisitsHouse of Commons CommissionTabled 24 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62403More
Question: To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, what steps the Commission is taking to ensure women have access to safe spaces when visiting Parliament.
Answer: Everyone is welcome at UK Parliament and should feel safe being here. We strive to be an organisation which treats all our visitors with respect.All visitors are reminded of the Parliamentary Behaviour Code, which applies to everyone who visits and works ...
Answered 11 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Justice: MarketingMinistry of JusticeTabled 24 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62401More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much her Department has spent on (a) social media promotions, (b) influencer marketing and (c) online advertising in the last 12 months.
Answer: Commercial sensitivities exist around aspects of this spend which could prejudice commercial interests. All spend in these areas are subject to the standard value for money assessments.
Answered 2 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: MarketingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 24 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62400More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much her Department has spent on (a) social media promotions, (b) influencer marketing and (c) online advertising in the last 12 months.
Answer: Commercial sensitivities exist around aspects of this spend which could prejudice commercial interests. All spend in these areas are subject to the standard value for money assessments.
Answered 8 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Defence: MarketingMinistry of DefenceTabled 24 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62399More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on (a) social media promotions, (b) influencer marketing and (c) online advertising in the last 12 months.
Answer: A full Departmental response could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The majority of Departmental advertising expenditure is undertaken by the three branches of the Armed Forces to aid recruitment. Generic advertising expenditure outside of this ...
Answered 2 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordHome Office: MarketingHome OfficeTabled 24 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62398More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department has spent on (a) social media promotions, (b) influencer marketing and (c) online advertising in the last 12 months.
Answer: The Government develops wide-ranging national and international campaigns which are delivered through tailored communication strategies aimed at reaching target audiences across the UK. Campaigns span owned, earned and paid-for channels to maximise reach,...
Answered 2 Jul 2025
Original Parliament record
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