Sarah Edwards MP: written questions
82 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Housing: ConstructionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86360More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government will consider the potential merits of (a) exemptions and (b) reduced thresholds for small and medium sized housebuilders under biodiversity net gain regulations.
Answer: The Government has recently consulted on how to improve biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development. This included options on exemptions and potential reduced thresholds for minor development. The Government is considering responses...
Answered 3 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86359More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of biodiversity net gain requirements on the viability of small and medium-sized housing schemes.
Answer: The Government has recently consulted on how to improve biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development. This included options on exemptions and potential reduced thresholds for minor development. The Government is considering responses...
Answered 3 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordPool Re: CybercrimeTreasuryTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 78850More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of including Cyber Attacks within the Pool Reinsurance Company Limited Fund.
Answer: Pool Reinsurance, or Pool Re, was created to ensure the effective functioning of the UK’s terrorism insurance market. The government do not have any plans to extend Pool Re’s remit to include further cyber-related risks.
Answered 22 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: DogsMinistry of DefenceTabled 10 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76356More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of support available to retired canine military working dogs.
Answer: At the end of their service, Military Working Dogs (MWDs) are individually assessed and every effort is made to rehome them with a suitable owner. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) proactively undertakes diagnostic work, surgery, or other treatment, to prepar...
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPolice: DogsHome OfficeTabled 10 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76355More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of support available to retired canine officers.
Answer: Police support animals play an important role in crime detection, prevention, and public safety. The government values the bravery and skill of police dogs and their handlers, recognising the strong bond formed through their work.Decisions on support for ...
Answered 17 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordDogs: SmugglingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76354More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of puppy smuggling.
Answer: Due to the illegal nature of this activity, we cannot know the true extent of puppy and kitten smuggling operations. The Animal and Plant Health Agency plays a critical role in monitoring and intercepting animals that do not meet legal importation standar...
Answered 8 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordDogs: SmugglingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76353More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the animal welfare strategy will include a commitment to help end the illegal puppy smuggling trade.
Answer: As outlined in our manifesto, the Government is committed to ending puppy smuggling. That is why we are supporting the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill. This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans t...
Answered 23 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordAnimal WelfareDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71528More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will publish the animal welfare strategy before 6 November 2025.
Answer: This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation. The Prime Minister announced that we will be publishing an animal welfare strategy later this year.
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordConstruction: LicensingDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71527More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to introduce a statutory compulsory licensing scheme for builders.
Answer: The Government is fully committed to implementing the Grenfell Inquiry recommendation that principal contractors working on higher-risk buildings should be licenced through a scheme managed by the Building Safety Regulator. We have accepted this recommend...
Answered 17 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordProperty Development: BiodiversityMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71526More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of biodiversity net gain requirements on the delivery of small-scale (a) industrial and (b) commercial projects.
Answer: On 28 May 2025, the government published a consultation on improving the implementation of biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development. It can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation closed on 24 July 2025 and the Department for E...
Answered 15 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71525More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the potential merits of exempting small urban (a) sites and (b) schemes under
Answer: On 28 May 2025, the government published a consultation on improving the implementation of biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development. It can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation closed on 24 July 2025 and the Department for E...
Answered 15 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71524More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of biodiversity net gain related delays on SME development finance costs.
Answer: On 28 May 2025, the government published a consultation on improving the implementation of biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development. It can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation closed on 24 July 2025 and the Department for E...
Answered 15 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71523More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of biodiversity net gain on the proportion of homes delivered by SME developers in urban areas; and what steps she is
Answer: On 28 May 2025, the government published a consultation on improving the implementation of biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development. It can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation closed on 24 July 2025 and the Department for E...
Answered 15 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71522More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will review the potential impact of variation in (a) local authority biodiversity administration and (b) ecological requirements on the ability of SME housebuilders to (i) foreca
Answer: The recent consultation looked at a range of options to make it quicker, cheaper and easier for these businesses to deliver their BNG obligations, including small urban sites. The recent consultation also looked at options for increasing flexibility for s...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71521More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will review the proportionality of biodiversity net gain survey requirements for small urban sites, in cases where (a) survey and (b) finance costs exceeded £30,000 for a complia
Answer: The recent consultation looked at a range of options to make it quicker, cheaper and easier for these businesses to deliver their BNG obligations, including small urban sites. The recent consultation also looked at options for increasing flexibility for s...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71520More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the availability of suitable off-site land for delivering biodiversity net gain in the vicinity of small urban sites.
Answer: The recent consultation looked at a range of options to make it quicker, cheaper and easier for these businesses to deliver their BNG obligations, including small urban sites. The recent consultation also looked at options for increasing flexibility for s...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71519More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of biodiversity net gain requirements on the viability of small urban housing sites developed by SME housebuilders; and if he
Answer: The recent consultation looked at a range of options to make it quicker, cheaper and easier for these businesses to deliver their BNG obligations, including small urban sites. The recent consultation also looked at options for increasing flexibility for s...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: GrantsDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71518More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of excluding used battery electric vehicles from eligibility for the new Electric Car Grant on (a) market uptake, (b) affordability and (c) value
Answer: The Electric Car Grant (ECG) is designed to cut costs for drivers who want to switch to a new electric car, as well as supporting environmentally sustainable manufacturing processes. The Government expects that the ECG will have some benefit in the used m...
Answered 5 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: GrantsDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71517More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the eligibility criteria for the Electric Car Grant to include used electric vehicles.
Answer: The Electric Car Grant (ECG) is designed to cut costs for drivers who want to switch to a new electric car, as well as supporting environmentally sustainable manufacturing processes. The Government expects that the ECG will have some benefit in the used m...
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy Ombudsman: StaffDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 21 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69461More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the qualifications held by Energy Ombudsman caseworkers.
Answer: Ofgem are responsible for assessing every two years whether the Energy Ombudsman continues to meet the criteria set out in the Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes Regulations 2015. This includes assessing whether the Energy Ombudsman staf...
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordVehicle Number Plates: FraudHome OfficeTabled 21 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69460More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of vehicles involved in criminal activity have had non-compliant licence plates in the last 12 months.
Answer: The Home Office does not routinely collect information related to the compliance of licence plates for vehicles which have been involved in criminal activity.Data of this type may be held locally by law enforcement organisations.
Answered 3 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordBus Services: Visual ImpairmentDepartment for TransportTabled 21 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69459More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will issue guidance to local authorities on ensuring that bus stop bypasses are accessible to blind and partially sighted people.
Answer: The government has committed to publishing new statutory guidance for local authorities on the design of floating bus stops, also known as bus stop bypasses, within three months of the Bus Services (No.2) Bill receiving Royal Assent. We will engage with t...
Answered 2 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordVehicle Number Plates: CrimeHome OfficeTabled 11 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67169More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of vehicles involved in criminal activity have had non-compliant licence plates in the last 12 months.
Answer: The Home Office does not collect information related to the compliance of licence plates for vehicles which have been involved in criminal activity. Data may be held by local police forces.Data be held locally by law enforcement organisations.
Answered 17 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordEnergy Ombudsman: TrainingDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 11 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67168More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will publish the training materials for case handlers of the Energy Ombudsman.
Answer: Ofgem is required to review the Energy Ombudsman every two years. As part of these reviews, the Energy Ombudsman provided training materials to Ofgem, who judged that staff at the Ombudsman were sufficiently well-trained. The decision about whether to pub...
Answered 21 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordAnimal ExperimentsHome OfficeTabled 11 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67167More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to separate the number of procedures for the (a) LD50 (lethal dose 50%) and (b) LC50 (lethal concentration 50%) tests in the annual statistics of scientific procedures on
Answer: The Home Office publishes extensive data on the use of animals in science in the annual statistics of scientific procedures on living animals.There are no plans to disaggregate the number of procedures specifically relating to the LD50 and LC50 tests with...
Answered 17 Jul 2025
Original Parliament record
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