Sarah Bool MP: written questions
249 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Solar Power: Rural AreasDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55616More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department has made of the safety of Battery Energy Storage Systems used for solar farms located close to rural communities.
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 5 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: South NorthamptonshireDepartment for TransportTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55615More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many public electric charging vehicle points there are in South Northamptonshire.
Answer: As of 1st April 2025, there were 112 public electric vehicle charging devices in the South Northamptonshire constituency.Data on public electric vehicle charging devices in the UK are held by the Department for Transport, and are sourced from the electric...
Answered 5 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordHeating: Rural AreasDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55614More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what support his Department is providing for rural households to transition to low-carbon heating systems.
Answer: As part of our Warm Homes Plan, the Government has committed an initial £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency measures, including those in rural communities. This includes supporting property owner...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordAmbulance Services: South NorthamptonshireDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55612More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce ambulance response times in South Northamptonshire.
Answer: The Government recognises the pressures on the National Health Service and the impact this is having on ambulance response times, including in South Northamptonshire.We are determined to turn things around, our 10-Year Health Plan will be published in sum...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordGeneral Practitioners: South NorthamptonshireDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55611More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of GP appointment availability in South Northamptonshire.
Answer: The Government is determined to work with the National Health Service to fix the front door of our health service and ensure everyone can access general practitioner (GP) appointments, including in South Northamptonshire. In October 2024, we invested £82 ...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: Rural AreasDepartment for EducationTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55610More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding her Department is providing for special educational needs provision in rural schools.
Answer: The department recognises the essential role that small, rural schools play in their communities. The national funding formula (NFF) accounts for the particular challenges, including those of providing for pupils with special educational needs (SEN), face...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordTeachers: Rural AreasDepartment for EducationTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55609More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to support the recruitment and retention of teachers in rural secondary schools.
Answer: High-quality teaching is the in-school factor that has the biggest positive impact on a child’s educational outcome. Recruiting and retaining more qualified, expert teachers is critical to the government’s opportunity mission and boosting the life chances...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordA5: SafetyDepartment for TransportTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55608More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department plans to take to improve road safety on the A5 in South Northamptonshire.
Answer: The Government takes road safety very seriously and reducing those killed and injured on our roads is a key priority. National Highways is currently progressing a safety study on the A5 in South Northamptonshire. The study covers the stretch of the A5 fro...
Answered 5 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordA43: SafetyDepartment for TransportTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55607More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve road safety on the A43 in South Northamptonshire.
Answer: The Government takes road safety very seriously and reducing those killed and injured on our roads is a key priority. National Highways is currently progressing a safety study on the A5 in South Northamptonshire. The study covers the stretch of the A5 fro...
Answered 5 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordBus Services: South NorthamptonshireDepartment for TransportTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55606More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve rural bus services in South Northamptonshire.
Answer: The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs...
Answered 4 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPrison SentencesMinistry of JusticeTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55605More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Extended Determinate Sentences have been handed down in England and Wales in the last 10 years (a) in total (b) by specific offense.
Answer: The Ministry of Justice publishes information on the number of offenders in England and Wales found guilty and given an extended determinate sentence, up to December 2024.This data is available by offence from the Outcomes by Offence Data tool accessed fr...
Answered 5 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordApprentices: Personal Care ServicesDepartment for EducationTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48072More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the British Hair Consortium's report entitled Securing the future of UK hairdressing and beauty: the economic, fiscal & societal case for VAT reform, published in February 2025, what steps she
Answer: I refer the hon. Member for South Northamptonshire to the answer of 12 March 2025 to Question 34828.
Answered 2 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Care Services: RegistrationDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47605More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the British Hair Council's report entitled Securing the future of UK hairdressing and beauty: the economic, fiscal & societal case for VAT reform, published in February 2025, whether
Answer: Hairdressing salons and barbers, like other employers, are subject to normal business regulations such as health and safety requirements, employer and public liability insurance. The Hairdressers Registration Act of 1964 already provides for a UK register...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Care Services: VATTreasuryTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47604More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the British Hair Council's report entitled Securing the future of UK hairdressing and beauty: the economic, fiscal & societal case for VAT reform, published in February 2025, whether she has made a
Answer: VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. VAT is also the UK’s second largest tax, forecast to raise £180 billion in 2025/26. Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for vital public ser...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordImport Controls: UK Trade with EUDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47603More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department has made on the negotiation of a Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement with the EU.
Answer: The UK and EU are like-minded partners with similarly high standards. We have been clear that the trading relationship can be improved, hence why we are seeking to negotiate an SPS agreement to help boost trade and deliver benefits to businesses and consu...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordFood: Import ControlsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47160More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure (a) airports and (b) ports are announcing the ban on personal imports of (i) meat and (ii) dairy products to travellers from EU countries
Answer: The Government has been engaging with airports, ports and travel operators to communicate the ban on personal imports of meats and dairy products from EU countries, introduced on 12 April 2025.
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordIndustry: VATTreasuryTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46664More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will conduct a review of the VAT system as it applies to (a) the hair and beauty sector and (b) other labour-intensive industries.
Answer: VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. VAT is also the UK’s second largest tax, forecast to raise £180 billion in 2025/26. Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for vital public ser...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Care Services: VATTreasuryTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46663More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the report entitled Avoiding the Cliff Edge: Considering possible options for a VAT threshold smoothing mechanism, published on 9 January 2024.
Answer: The Government will continue to bear in mind businesses’ views of this threshold. At £90,000, the UK has a higher VAT registration threshold than any EU Member State and the second highest in the OECD. This keeps the majority of UK businesses out of VAT a...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Care Services: VATTreasuryTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46662More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of reducing VAT rate on hair and beauty salons.
Answer: VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. VAT is also the UK’s second largest tax, forecast to raise £180 billion in 2025/26. Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for vital public ser...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Care Services: VATTreasuryTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46661More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of VAT on the financial sustainability of hair and beauty salons.
Answer: VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. VAT is also the UK’s second largest tax, forecast to raise £180 billion in 2025/26. Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for vital public ser...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMeat: Seized ArticlesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46660More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what tonnage of meat was seized by Dover Port Health Authority between January and March in (a) 2023, (b) 2024 and (c) 2025.
Answer: Seizure reports provided by Dover Port Health Authority are as follows:(a)Jan-March 2023: 7.1 tonnes(b)Jan-March 2024: 16.7 tonnes(c)Jan-March 2025: 61.1 tonnes Total is 84.94 tonnes (Rounded to 1 decimal place)
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDover Port Health Authority: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46659More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the funding for Dover Port Health Authority 2025-26 will be paid in instalments.
Answer: The funding for Dover Port Health Authority for 2025-26 has been allocated. Discussions with Dover Port Health Authority on the detailed use of funding are ongoing.
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDover Port Health Authority: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46658More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the funding for the Dover Port Health Authority 2025-26 covers the cost of vets.
Answer: The funding allocated to Dover Port Health Authority for 2025-26 does not cover the costs of Official Veterinarians.
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDover Port Health Authority: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46657More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how the funding for the Dover Port Health Authority 2025-26 will be spent.
Answer: The funding for Dover Port Health Authority for 2025-26 has been allocated. Discussions with Dover Port Health Authority on the detailed use of funding are ongoing.
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordImmigrationHome OfficeTabled 25 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 903521More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a statutory cap on levels of migration.
Answer: This Government recognises and values the contribution that legal migration makes to the UK.This Government is clear that net migration must come down from the record highs that were reached under the previous government.Under the previous Government, bet...
Answered 31 Mar 2025
Original Parliament record
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