Sarah Gibson MP: written questions 2025
351 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Dentistry: WiltshireDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46462More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to increase the recruitment of dentists in (a) Chippenham and (b) Wiltshire; and how many dentists he plans to recruit in those areas by 31 December 2025.
Answer: We are determined to rebuild National Health Service dentistry, but it will take time and there are no quick fixes. Strengthening the workforce is key to our ambitions.The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDental ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46461More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to ensure that additional urgent dental appointments are distributed equitably across Integrated Care Boards; and what the target number is for Bath and North East Somerset,
Answer: The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. The ICBs have been asked to start ma...
Answered 24 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordAnimal Experiments: DogsHome OfficeTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45323More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with (a) animal welfare activists and (b) Marshall Bio Resources on the mass rearing of beagles for the purpose of animal testing.
Answer: The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) with the Home Office and Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs involvement is leading on a strategy to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of alternatives to animal t...
Answered 24 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDriving Tests: Rural AreasDepartment for TransportTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45322More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to maintain the current number of driving test centres in rural communities.
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is committed to providing its customers, including those in rural areas, with the best service possible. DVSA continually reviews its estate to ensure it represents good value for money and is efficient.
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: Excise DutiesTreasuryTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45321More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to Vehicle Excise Duty from April 2025 on levels of electric vehicle adoption; and what impact these changes will have on owners of zero-emi
Answer: Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) is a tax on vehicles used or kept on public roads. As announced by the Government at Autumn Statement 2022, from April 2025, zero emission and hybrid cars, vans and motorcycles will begin to pay VED in a similar way to petrol and...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture and Business: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43793More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed changes to agricultural property relief and business property relief on trends in levels of agricultural employment.
Answer: The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, and fixing the public finances in a fair way. The reforms reduce the inherita...
Answered 10 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture and Business: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43792More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed changes to agricultural property relief and business property relief on trends in levels of tax revenues.
Answer: The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, and fixing the public finances in a fair way. The reforms reduce the inherita...
Answered 10 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture and Business: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43791More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed changes to agricultural property relief and business property relief on the trend in levels of economic growth
Answer: The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, and fixing the public finances in a fair way. The reforms reduce the inherita...
Answered 10 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDriving TestsDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43755More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help tackle bots in the DVSA's online booking system for driving tests.
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.The table below shows the number of car practical driving tests booked and available i...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDriving Tests: WiltshireDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43747More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of driving test waits in Wiltshire; and what steps she is taking to help reduce the backlog.
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.The table below shows the number of car practical driving tests booked and available i...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordHeat Pumps and Insulation: Low IncomesDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 28 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42376More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has considered providing free (a) insulation and (b) heat pumps to low-income households; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of such provision on (i) fuel po
Answer: Government energy efficiency schemes such as the Energy Company Obligation, Great British Insulation Scheme, Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and Warm Homes: Local Grant are targeted at low-income households to tackle fuel poverty. The Boiler Upgrade Schem...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordTrade Agreements: Ukraine and USADepartment for Business and TradeTabled 19 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39751More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of a minerals trade deal between the US and Ukraine on the UK’s Critical Minerals Strategy.
Answer: A secure supply of critical minerals is vital for the UK's economic growth and security, Industrial Strategy, and clean energy transition. The Department for Business and Trade will publish a new Critical Minerals Strategy this year that will set out the ...
Answered 24 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordTrade Agreements: Ukraine and USADepartment for Business and TradeTabled 19 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 39749More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of a minerals trade deal between the US and Ukraine.
Answer: A secure supply of critical minerals is vital for the UK's economic growth and security, Industrial Strategy, and clean energy transition. The Department for Business and Trade will publish a new Critical Minerals Strategy this year that will set out the ...
Answered 24 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordRural England Prosperity FundDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38795More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the reduction in the Rural England Prosperity Fund for 2025/26 on rural businesses.
Answer: The Department announced on 4 March that it would be providing an additional £33 million for the Rural England Prosperity Fund in financial year 2025-26. This announcement continues funding beyond the lifetime of the original scheme providing new money fo...
Answered 24 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: Workplace PensionsMinistry of DefenceTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36966More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of ensuring that all Armed Forces Personnel are entitled to the same pension scheme.
Answer: As of 1 April 2022, all Serving personnel are members of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2015 (AFPS 15). AFPS 15 is the only open pension scheme for both Regular and Reserve personnel, having replaced all existing prior legacy schemes.
Answered 17 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: Lone ParentsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 7 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36539More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of Universal Credit provisions for single parent families.
Answer: The Child Poverty Taskforce is working to publish a Child Poverty Strategy which will deliver lasting change. The Strategy will look at levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, including considering social security reforms, reducing essential ...
Answered 17 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordGambling: RegulationDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35096More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of (a) further regulating gambling companies and (b) creating a Gambling Ombudsman.
Answer: The government is committed to strengthening protections to ensure that people can continue to enjoy gambling, without the risks that can ensue from harmful gambling.The previous government published its gambling white paper in April 2023. The white paper...
Answered 12 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordRight to Buy Scheme: AlmshousesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35095More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to make Almshouses eligible for the right to buy scheme.
Answer: Almshouses are exempt from the Right to Buy scheme and the government has no plans to alter that fact.
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: Telephone ServicesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 3 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28378More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many calls to the Pension Service helpline (a) were not answered, (b) involved the caller being on hold for more than 10 minutes and (c) were terminated by the Pension Service following the caller b
Answer: Response:Part (a)The table below shows the total number of unanswered calls (Calls Abandoned from Agent Queue) for The Pension Service, for each of the last 12 calendar months. Month YearDirectorateCalls Abandoned from Agent QueueFeb-2024Pension Service60...
Answered 11 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: Telephone ServicesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 3 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28377More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many calls to the Disability Service Centre helpline (a) were not answered, (b) involved the caller being on hold for more than 10 minutes and (c) were terminated by the Disability Service Centre fo
Answer: Part (a)The table below shows the total number of unanswered calls (Calls Abandoned from Agent Queue) for Disability Services, for each of the last 12 calendar months. Month YearDirectorateCalls Abandoned from Agent QueueFeb-2024Disability Services189,821...
Answered 11 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: Public ExpenditureMinistry of DefenceTabled 3 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28172More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on increasing levels of defence expenditure above 2.5% of GDP.
Answer: The Government is committed to setting a path to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence in Spring. The Ministry of Defence remains closely engaged with His Majesty's Treasury on this matter.
Answered 11 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: ExpenditureMinistry of DefenceTabled 30 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27782More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential long-term impact of increasing UK defence spending on (a) economic growth, (b) innovation and (c) job creation in the defence sector.
Answer: The Government recognises the vital role Defence plays not only in our national security but also in delivering economic growth to all nations and regions of the United Kingdom. Peace and security are the essential preconditions of long-term economic grow...
Answered 7 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: ExpenditureMinistry of DefenceTabled 30 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27781More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what comparative assessment he has made of the level of defence expenditure in (a) the UK and (b) Russia; and what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Government's commitment to increase defence
Answer: The UK currently spends 2.3% of GDP on defence, and the Government is committed to setting a pathway to 2.5% this Spring.Russia's own public assessment forecast their military expenditure at over 7% of GDP in 2024, with some sources estimating that as muc...
Answered 7 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordParking: RegulationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 27 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 26717More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of an independent parking regulator with powers to regulate (a) fees, (b) enforcement and (c) appeals.
Answer: The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 places a duty on the government to prepare a code of practice containing guidance about the operation and management of private parking facilities. This government is determined to drive up standards in the private ...
Answered 6 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordHospitals: ParkingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 27 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 26716More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to end hospital parking fees for (a) National Health Service staff, (b) patients and (c) visitors; and provide additional funding to help offset lost revenue.
Answer: The Government has no plans to end car-parking fees for National Health Service patients, staff, or visitors, or to provide additional funding to help offset lost revenue.All NHS trusts that charge for hospital car parking provide free parking for those i...
Answered 31 Jan 2025
Original Parliament record
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