Sarah Dyke MP: written questions 2025
79 published records · newest first.
Written questions
RailwaysDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85366More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure communities can access local railways.
Answer: To ensure communities have access to the local railways, this Government is committed to improving accessibility, customer support, and helping to remove barriers to travel for all users of public transport. Accessibility is an important part of ensuring ...
Answered 30 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordApples and Pears: Seasonal WorkersDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84327More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure the availability of seasonal labour for the apple and pear industry.
Answer: The Seasonal Worker visa route is hugely important for the horticulture sector, including the apple and pear industry. Government made a total of 43,000 seasonal worker visas available for horticulture in 2025. The Government has also announced a 5-year ...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordRecycling: EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84326More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is taking steps to help children and young people understand the circular economy.
Answer: The government recognises the importance of ensuring that children and young people are taught about and understand sustainability and the circular economy, which is why this topic can already be covered across a range of subjects, including science and d...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHorse Racing: BettingDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84325More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the illegal betting market on the horseracing industry.
Answer: The issue of illegal gambling is a concern for this Government and we are committed to working closely with the Gambling Commission, the statutory regulator for gambling in Great Britain, to ensure that illegal gambling, in all its forms, is addressed. Th...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordGamblingDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84324More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the illegal betting market on revenues collected by HMRC.
Answer: The issue of illegal gambling is a concern for this Government and we are committed to working closely with the Gambling Commission, the statutory regulator for gambling in Great Britain, to ensure that illegal gambling, in all its forms, is addressed. Th...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordBlood: ContaminationCabinet OfficeTabled 22 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84323More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) stopping and (b) reducing monthly support payments for people accepting one-off compensation payments from the Infected Blood Compensation Authority on
Answer: The Infected Blood Compensation Scheme includes Care and Financial Loss awards, which recognise the past and future care needs and associated costs for infected people.All support scheme beneficiaries, when undergoing their compensation assessment from IB...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordEels: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83878More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to provide additional support to (a) the Somerset Eel Recovery Project and (b) other local recovery projects to enable the (i) delivery of eel passes, (ii
Answer: In England, the Environment Agency is responsible for eel management and working with local delivery partners.
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordEels: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83877More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding for the (a) Environment Agency and (b) other relevant bodies to (i) monitor and regulate pollution, (ii) assess habitat degradat
Answer: This is a devolved matter and therefore the information provided relates to England only. The Environment Agency (EA) are responsible for eel management in England. As a non-departmental public body, the EA determine how to allocate their funding from Def...
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordEels: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83876More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to review England and Wales’ Eel Management Plans (EMPs), in order to accelerate progress towards meeting silver eel escapement targets.
Answer: This is a devolved matter and therefore the information provided relates to England only. The Environment Agency (EA) are responsible for delivering EMPs in England to meet silver eel escapement targets. Defra is not planning to review EMPs at this time a...
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPharmacy: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83019More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to introduce further financial support for community pharmacies required to take on additional dispensing of prescriptions following the closures of neighbouring community pharmaci
Answer: Integrated care boards are responsible for ensuring adequate provision of pharmaceutical services in their areas. When a pharmacy closes, patients can choose to use a neighbouring pharmacy or a pharmacy near to where they work or shop. There is no restric...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPharmacyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83018More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of pharmacy closures on neighbouring community pharmacies.
Answer: Integrated care boards are responsible for ensuring adequate provision of pharmaceutical services in their areas. When a pharmacy closes, patients can choose to use a neighbouring pharmacy or a pharmacy near to where they work or shop. There is no restric...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordNature Conservation: CrimeHome OfficeTabled 16 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82756More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of making wildlife crimes notifiable offences; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of doing so on (a) data collection
Answer: Wildlife crime can have devastating consequences for our natural environments and countryside communities. This Government is committed to reducing crime in rural areas and anyone exploiting or deliberately harming British wildlife should face the full fo...
Answered 22 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordNature Conservation: CrimeDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 16 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82755More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that all police forces have access to adequate (a) training and (b) resources to (i) identity, (ii) record and (iii) investigate wildlife crime.
Answer: Defra is a principal funder of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). In 2025/26, it is providing £424,000 to the Unit. The NWCU helps prevent and detect wildlife crime by obtaining and disseminating intelligence, undertaking analysis which highlights l...
Answered 22 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordSolar PowerDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 10 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76352More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will take steps to help ensure that local communities benefit from hosting ground mounted solar farms.
Answer: The Government is determined to ensure that, where communities host clean energy infrastructure, they benefit from it directly. We recently published a working paper on community benefits, in which we proposed making it mandatory for developers to provide...
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordSolar Power: AgricultureDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 10 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76351More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to help support agricultural buildings to be fitted with solar panels.
Answer: The Government is looking to facilitate and promote extensive deployment of rooftop solar on industrial and commercial property.Commercial rooftop solar panel installations, which includes agricultural buildings, already benefit from permitted development...
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy Bills Discount Scheme: AgricultureDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 10 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76350More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of discontinuing energy discount schemes on (a) apple and (b) pear growers.
Answer: No such assessment has been made. However, the Government believes our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently.
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordImperial War MuseumDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 10 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76349More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the closure of the Victoria Cross and George Cross Gallery at the Imperial War Museum on public access to the National Gallantry Awar
Answer: Gallantry awards, amongst them Victoria and George Crosses, honour exceptional acts of bravery and courage. The stories they tell form an important part of our national history. The Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum, which houses a signific...
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordShared Rural NetworkDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 9 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76061More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the delay in full Shared Rural Network rollout until 2027 on rural businesses; and what steps she is taking to mitigat
Answer: Ofcom is responsible for assessing the 4G coverage improvements delivered by the Shared Rural Network. Its latest published figures show that 4G now reaches over 95% of UK landmass. This means that the Shared Rural Network met its overarching target a yea...
Answered 23 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordAnimals: HealthDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 9 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76060More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of levels of digital connectivity on farmer's ability to use animal health monitoring systems.
Answer: Defra continues to work closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) on connectivity issues facing the rural and farming communities. DSIT’s Shared Rural Network has already delivered 4G coverage to over 95% of UK landmass, en...
Answered 24 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordRural Areas: SafetyDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 9 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76059More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of farmers being unable to reliably report accidents due to poor broadband or mobile signal on safety in rural are
Answer: Defra continues to work closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) on connectivity issues facing the rural and farming communities. DSIT’s Shared Rural Network has already delivered 4G coverage to over 95% of UK landmass, en...
Answered 23 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordStudents: LoansDepartment for EducationTabled 9 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76058More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria she considers when setting student maintenance loan thresholds.
Answer: The loan for living costs is a contribution towards a student’s living costs while attending university, with the highest levels of support for students who need it most.The government recognises the impact that the cost-of-living crisis has had on studen...
Answered 26 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordFree School MealsDepartment for EducationTabled 4 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75297More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of schools that have the budget to provide free school meals in the next 5 years in a) Somerset and (b) England.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member for Glastonbury and Somerton to the answer of 5 September 2025 to Question 71911.
Answered 3 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCultural Heritage: Planning PermissionDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 4 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75296More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on integrating heritage conservation more effectively into planning systems.
Answer: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) works closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on ensuring heritage delivers on this Government's core missions including planning reform. Ministers and officials hav...
Answered 10 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordListed Buildings: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 4 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75295More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support owners of listed buildings with the cost of essential repairs.
Answer: DCMS works with Arm's-Length Bodies, such as Historic England, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and other partner organisations to support owners of listed buildings in a range of ways including through advice, guidance, and supporting heritage skills ...
Answered 10 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordListed Buildings: ApplicationsDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 4 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75294More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the average waiting time is for a decision on a listed building application made to Historic England in the last 12 months.
Answer: Based on a sample of 400 cases, the average time between Historic England receiving an application for listing and the notification of a decision to interested parties was between 36 and 37 weeks between April 2024 and April 2025, which is the latest peri...
Answered 10 Sept 2025
Original Parliament record
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