Saqib Bhatti MP: written questions 2025
129 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Breakfast Clubs: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 31 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 87084More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how her Department plans to integrate feedback from schools on the adequacy of funding for the breakfast clubs programme.
Answer: We have always been committed to rolling free breakfast clubs out nationally and the test and learn phase was put in place to inform how best to do so.We have been listening to schools and other stakeholders throughout this phase and will continue to work...
Answered 11 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordBreakfast ClubsDepartment for EducationTabled 31 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 87083More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of children who are attending the early adopters breakfast clubs.
Answer: The free breakfast clubs early adopter phase has been a huge success, with data showing that over 5 million breakfasts have been served so far. We continue to receive excellent feedback from schools, parents and pupils on the positive impact that the free...
Answered 15 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordStatutory Sick Pay: Agency WorkersDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 13 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 81377More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of expanding Statutory Sick Pay on recruitment agencies; and if he will consider taking steps to (a) enable agencies to recover SSP costs from hirers
Answer: Strengthening Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is part of the Government’s Plan to Make Work Pay. The Government conducted a Regulatory Impact Assessment Here on the impact of the SSP measures in the Employment Rights Bill. Whilst this is not a specific assessmen...
Answered 30 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordAgency Workers: Conditions of EmploymentDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 13 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 81376More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that requirements on agencies to offer guaranteed hours contracts do not reduce flexibility; and if he will consider reforms to allow such contracts to be
Answer: The Government believes agency workers should be able to access a contract which reflects the hours they regularly work. Agency workers who prefer a more flexible arrangement can reject any guaranteed hours offer.It will generally be hirers’ responsibilit...
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordJob Creation and TrainingTreasuryTabled 13 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 81375More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to ensure that the Autumn Budget 2025 incentivises businesses to invest in (a) job creation and (b) workforce development.
Answer: Economic growth is the central mission of this government, and we recognise that sustainable growth can only be achieved in partnership with businesses and other stakeholders. We are providing long-term stability through clear fiscal rules that give firms...
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordConditions of Employment and Employers' ContributionsTreasuryTabled 13 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 81374More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential cumulative impact of (a) National Insurance contributions and (b) the Employment Rights Act on overall hiring costs for UK businesses.
Answer: A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer NICs. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy, including on businesses. The Government decided to protect the smallest busi...
Answered 17 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordEmployers' ContributionsTreasuryTabled 13 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 81373More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of National Insurance contributions on small and medium-sized businesses ability to hire new staff.
Answer: A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer NICs. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy, including on businesses. The Government decided to protect the smallest busi...
Answered 17 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordInternational BaccalaureateDepartment for EducationTabled 13 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 81372More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.
Answer: The department has made very significant investments into 16-19 education funding. The base rate of funding per student has increased to £5,105 in the 2025/26 academic year, up over 5% on last year. We must make this funding work hard, tilting it towards ...
Answered 7 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordInternational BaccalaureateDepartment for EducationTabled 13 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 81371More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her Department's policy is on the continued provision of the International Baccalaureate Diploma in state schools.
Answer: The department has made very significant investments into 16-19 education funding. The base rate of funding per student has increased to £5,105 in the 2025/26 academic year, up over 5% on last year. We must make this funding work hard, tilting it towards ...
Answered 7 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordInternational Baccalaureate: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 13 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 81370More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to reduce funding for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.
Answer: The department has made very significant investments into 16-19 education funding. The base rate of funding per student has increased to £5,105 in the 2025/26 academic year, up over 5% on last year. We must make this funding work hard, tilting it towards ...
Answered 7 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordPrison Officers: Political ImpartialityMinistry of JusticeTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77654More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will set out whether all grades of prison officers are required to be politically neutral.
Answer: All employees are bound by the Civil Service Code and must serve the Government impartially. The HMPPS Outside Activities Policy requires all employees, including all grades of Prison Officer, to remain politically neutral at all times and they must seek ...
Answered 14 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPrison Officers: Codes of PracticeMinistry of JusticeTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77653More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance his Department issues to ensure prison officers follow the civil service code.
Answer: The requirement to adhere to the Civil Service Code is set out in all HMPPS employee's employment contracts. In HMPPS, these standards are reinforced through the Outside Activities and the Conduct and Discipline policies, which set behavioural expectation...
Answered 14 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPrison Officers: Political ImpartialityMinistry of JusticeTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77652More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has issued guidance to prison officers on ensuring political neutrality.
Answer: All civil servants are contractually bound by the Civil Service Code to serve the Government of the day. In HMPPS, this is reinforced through the Outside Activities Policy and the Conduct and Discipline Policy. These require employees to remain politicall...
Answered 14 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: Private EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75689More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the number of children with SEND moving from the independent to state school sector; and what proportion this represents of the overall amount of people moving from the
Answer: The latest school census data from January 2025 shows private school pupil numbers remain firmly within historical patterns seen for over 20 years. The data is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupi...
Answered 2 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic ExpenditureTreasuryTabled 4 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 74955More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of UK borrowing costs on government spending.
Answer: The Government has published Spending Review 2025, which set departmental spending allocations consistent with the fiscal strategy set out at Autumn Budget 2024 and Spring Statement 2025. The Chancellor will provide further updates at Autumn Budget 2025.
Answered 10 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordMortgagesTreasuryTabled 3 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 74760More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of borrowing costs on mortgages.
Answer: The Government does not comment on specific financial market movements. Government borrowing costs are determined by a wide range of international and domestic factors, and it is normal for the price and yields of gilts to vary, especially in the context ...
Answered 11 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Sector DebtTreasuryTabled 3 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 74759More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of the trends in the cost of debt on Departmental Budgets.
Answer: The Government has published Spending Review 2025, which set departmental spending allocations consistent with the fiscal strategy set out at Autumn Budget 2024 and Spring Statement 2025. The Chancellor will provide further updates at Autumn Budget 2025.
Answered 10 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordGovernment Securities: CostsTreasuryTabled 3 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 74758More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has had discussions with the International Monetary Fund on the impact of the rising cost of bond yields.
Answer: The government does not comment on specific market moves. As the Governor of the Bank of England recently noted, the underlying driver of recent moves in yield curves is global. This means it is more important than ever to have fiscal rules that provide s...
Answered 11 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordTransgender People: Conversion TherapyWomen and EqualitiesTabled 21 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69415More
Question: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she plans to establish a joint committee of both Houses to scrutinise the draft Bill on conversion practices.
Answer: This Government’s position is that conversion practices are abuse. We remain committed to bringing forward legislation that protects LGBT+ individuals from these harmful practices, starting with publishing our draft Bill later this session for pre-legisla...
Answered 1 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordMembers: CorrespondenceDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 68945More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department plans to respond to correspondence of 1 July 2025 from the hon. Member for Meriden and Solihull East on the Midlands Rail Hub, reference MC2025-14224.
Answer: The Rail Minister is replying to the hon. member's letter and if he has not received a response already, he will do so in coming days.
Answered 22 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordCyprus: Military BasesForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 9 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66300More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the Sovereign Base Areas in Akrotiri and Dhekalia.
Answer: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Ministers have not discussed the status of the Sovereign Base Areas with counterparts from the Republic of Cyprus, which was secured by the 1960 Treaty of Establishment.Ministers and officials however re...
Answered 16 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordCyprus: Military BasesForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 9 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66299More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) Akrotiri and (b) Dhekelia Sovereign Base Areas on regional stability in the Middle East.
Answer: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Ministers have not discussed the status of the Sovereign Base Areas with counterparts from the Republic of Cyprus, which was secured by the 1960 Treaty of Establishment.Ministers and officials however re...
Answered 16 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordCyprus: Military BasesForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 9 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 66298More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Cypriot counterparts on the status of the Sovereign Base Areas in (a) Akrotiri and (b) Dhekelia.
Answer: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Ministers have not discussed the status of the Sovereign Base Areas with counterparts from the Republic of Cyprus, which was secured by the 1960 Treaty of Establishment.Ministers and officials however re...
Answered 16 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordAlcoholic Drinks: AdvertisingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 1 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64060More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to ban alcohol advertising.
Answer: On 3 July 2025, the Department published Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, which outlines plans to introduce mandatory alcohol labelling, to increase awareness of harms and enable people to make healthier choices. It also commits to exp...
Answered 28 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordBusiness Rates: ValuationTreasuryTabled 30 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63677More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what consultation (a) her Department and (b) the Valuation Office Agency undertook with the (i) flexible workspace sector and (ii) representatives of small businesses prior to concluding that most serviced offices s
Answer: Following developments in case law and legal advice, the VOA has reviewed its approach and concluded that most serviced offices will need to be assessed as a single property. The VOA has engaged with the sector and rating agents to discuss the approach to...
Answered 8 Jul 2025
Original Parliament record
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