Sarah Bool MP: written questions
134 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Armed Forces: DeploymentMinistry of DefenceTabled 5 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57928More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether financial incentives for service personnel on overseas deployments were considered during the the Strategic Defence Review.
Answer: Financial Incentives (FI) are offered by cohort and rank rather than geography of Service. As such there is not a singular FI for those serving overseas, but a number of Service personnel overseas are receiving a FI. Service personnel receive an allowance...
Answered 12 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordFarms: WalesWales OfficeTabled 3 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 904466More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Autumn Budget 2024 on family farms in Wales.
Answer: The Government is steadfastly committed to family farms in Wales. That is why we protected the farm budget at its current level and allocated £337 million to the Welsh Government at the Autumn Budget.Furthermore, at the UK-EU Summit on the 19th of May, th...
Answered 11 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordCommunity Transport: South NorthamptonshireDepartment for TransportTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56083More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to provide additional funding to support community transport services in market towns and villages in South Northamptonshire constituency.
Answer: The Government recognises the vital role community transport operators play in connecting people with their communities, enabling access to employment, education, and other essential services such as healthcare. The Department makes available up to £3.8 m...
Answered 4 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordSports: Market TownsDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56081More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to increase funding levels for grassroots sports facilities in market towns.
Answer: The Government is committed to ensuring that communities across the UK benefit from high-quality sports facilities, removing barriers to participation and enabling as many people as possible to be active.The Government provides the majority of funding for...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordUK Trade with EU: AgricultureDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56080More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation agreement includes provisions for mutual recognition of (a) agri-input standards, (b) fertilisers and (c) pesticides.
Answer: The Technical Barriers to Trade chapter of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) provides the structures to address non-tariff barriers for businesses. Annex 14 to the TCA recognises the equivalence of organic regulations between EU and UK, faci...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Land UseDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56079More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of large-scale solar farms on (a) agricultural land use and (b) landscape character in South Northamptonshire constituen
Answer: Defra does not collect information on the potential impacts of constructing green energy infrastructure. However, Defra does produce statistical estimates of agricultural land areas each year from the annual June Survey of Agriculture: In 2024, the utilis...
Answered 11 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordSlaughterhouses: ClosuresDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56078More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of local abattoir closures on small-scale livestock farmers; and what steps his Department is taking to support the viab
Answer: The Government recognises the vital role smaller abattoirs, and the accompanying infrastructure play in supporting local livestock producers, sustaining rare and native breeds, providing skilled employment opportunities and maintaining a resilient, compet...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordFarmers: Mental HealthDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56077More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the mental health challenges facing farmers in England; and what steps his Department is taking to
Answer: We use existing channels to listen to, and monitor, impacts of our policy changes on farmers. This includes regular meetings with farming welfare charities, listening to feedback from farming organisations, speaking to farmers directly at events, and thro...
Answered 12 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: SoilDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56076More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help support farmers to transition to regenerative agriculture.
Answer: Although the term “regenerative agriculture” does not have a legal or universally accepted definition, and is used variably, it is based on an understanding that the health of the food system is intrinsically linked to soil health. Healthy soils that are...
Answered 6 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordFertilisers: RegulationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56075More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the UK-EU sanitary and phytosanitary agreement on fertiliser (a) regulation and (b) availability for farmers in the U
Answer: Fertiliser product regulation does not fall within the scope of the UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement. Fertiliser is a global market. Ensuring a resilient supply chain involves maintaining diverse sources, domestically and through international i...
Answered 6 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordAutism: DiagnosisDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56074More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to help reduce waiting times for autism assessments for children in rural areas.
Answer: Lord Darzi’s independent review of the National Health Service, published September 2024, highlighted the severe delays for accessing autism assessments and that demand for assessments for autism has grown significantly in recent years.It is the responsib...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordDental Services: Rural AreasDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56073More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of NHS dental contract reforms on rural patient access.
Answer: We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist, particularly in more rural and coastal areas. This is why we have launched the Golden Hello scheme which will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that nee...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordBatteries: FiresDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56072More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has commissioned research into the potential impact of toxic emissions from battery storage fires near residential areas on public health.
Answer: The Department has not formally commissioned research into this topic. However, on 14 March 2025, the Environment Agency published the paper, Net zero: Environmental and social implications of energy storage technologies: summary, which is available at th...
Answered 6 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordSolar Power: Development Consent OrdersMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56070More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to review the development consent order process for solar projects to increase local authority input on battery storage safety.
Answer: National planning policy and guidance clearly considers safety aspects of a proposed energy development, with expectations set out early for applicants to submit supporting information with their application for the proposed development.The overarching Na...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordBatteries: SafetyMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56069More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to standardise the approval process for battery safety management plans across local planning authorities.
Answer: National planning policy and guidance clearly considers safety aspects of a proposed energy development, with expectations set out early for applicants to submit supporting information with their application for the proposed development.The overarching Na...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPolice: Rural AreasHome OfficeTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56068More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department plans to take to help improve police response times in rural areas.
Answer: Chief Constables are responsible for determining the allocation of resources for operational policing and managing their response times, in line with the priorities set out by their Police and Crime Commissioner.His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary ...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordBatteries: StorageMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56067More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what (a) training and (b) resources her Department has provided to fire and rescue services to respond to battery energy storage system-related incidents.
Answer: It is the responsibility of fire and rescue authorities to ensure that firefighters receive the appropriate equipment and training to safely respond to the wide range of incidents that they attend. The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) also provides gui...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordBatteries: StorageMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56066More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department has issued to fire and rescue services on responding to incidents involving large-scale battery energy storage systems.
Answer: It is the responsibility of fire and rescue authorities to ensure that firefighters receive the appropriate equipment and training to safely respond to the wide range of incidents that they attend. The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) also provides gui...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordBatteries: SafetyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56065More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to publish a national register of safety (a) incidents and (b) near-misses involving battery energy storage systems.
Answer: The Department does not plan to publish a national register of safety incidents and near-misses involving battery energy storage systems (BESS). However, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has developed a publicly available database of global BE...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordLithium-ion Batteries: SafetyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56064More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential long-term fire risk associated with lithium-ion battery energy storage systems.
Answer: The Government considers that the safety risks posed by BESS are small and well managed under the robust regulatory framework overseen by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). This framework requires responsible parties to take measures to ensure health ...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Consultation: Rural AreasDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55653More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to engage with rural communities in the development of nationwide policies.
Answer: The Government believes that it is important that rural communities have the opportunity to help shape decisions that affect them. As rural affairs lead, Defra continues to encourage all Government Departments to rural proof their policies, including enga...
Answered 10 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordMilitary Bases: CateringMinistry of DefenceTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55652More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has made an assessment of whether the pay as you dine scheme in military bases is the optimal approach to meeting the cost of food and drink.
Answer: The Defence Catering Strategy (DCS) was built on the comprehensive assessment undertaken through the Delivering Defence Dining Quality (3DQ) Review, led by the Institute of Naval Medicine on behalf of all three Services, and which reported in December 202...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordVeterans: Rural AreasMinistry of DefenceTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55651More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support veterans living in rural communities.
Answer: This Government is committed to improving services for veterans wherever they live, including those who live in rural communities. We recently announced VALOUR, a new commitment to establish the first-ever UK-wide approach to veteran support, to ensure ea...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordEmployment Schemes: Older PeopleDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55646More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support is available for older workers in rural areas seeking to return to employment.
Answer: The government is reforming jobcentres to better match people with the right jobs and provide employment skills, and career support to individuals including older workers and those in rural areas. Design elements of the new National Jobs and Careers Servi...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordLegal Aid Scheme: Rural AreasMinistry of JusticeTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55645More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment has she made of access to legal aid services in rural constituencies.
Answer: It is vital that those who need legal aid – some of the most vulnerable people in our society – can access it wherever they live in the UK.The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is responsible for commissioning legal aid services in England and Wales. The LAA monitor...
Answered 10 Jun 2025
Original Parliament record
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