Sarah Gibson MP: written questions 2025
351 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Children: MaintenanceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80448More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the total (a) amount of child maintenance arrears owed and (b) number of children for whom maintenance was outstanding in Wiltshire in each of the past five years.
Answer: The information requested is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFurther Education: ReformDepartment for EducationTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80447More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she will publish her Department's post-16 education and skills strategy.
Answer: The government is developing a comprehensive strategy for post‐16 education and skills and will shortly publish the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper.
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HousingHome OfficeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80446More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress has been made on the development of a strategy for asylum accommodation; if she will list the other Government departments that are involved in this work; and what steps her Department i
Answer: As part of our commitment to end the use of all asylum hotels and reduce costs for taxpayers, the Home Office has been working in collaboration with other government departments and local authorities to develop a more sustainable model of accommodation wh...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordDental Services: Public ConsultationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80445More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Government plans to respond to feedback provided in its consultation on NHS dentistry contract: quality and payment reform, published 8 July 2025.
Answer: The Government is considering the outcomes of the consultation and will publish a response in due course.
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFuel Cells and Hydrogen: Manufacturing IndustriesTreasuryTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77847More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of fiscal incentives to encourage capital investment in (a) hydrogen and (b) fuel cell manufacturing facilities.
Answer: The Chancellor of the Exchequer is supporting a range of incentives to encourage capital investment in hydrogen. The Government has awarded contracts to 11 projects through the first hydrogen allocation round and £500mn was allocated for the development o...
Answered 13 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFuel Cells and Hydrogen: InnovationDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77846More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what research and innovation funding streams are available to support companies developing hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in the UK.
Answer: Innovate UK supports businesses innovating in hydrogen and fuel cells through several initiatives, including DRIVE35, a £2.5 billion programme supporting businesses conducting R&D in manufacturing zero emission vehicles. The Department for Transport d...
Answered 14 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFuel Cells and Hydrogen: Manufacturing IndustriesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77845More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has had discussions with industry stakeholders on opportunities to grow UK-based manufacturing of hydrogen and fuel cell equipment by 2030.
Answer: The Government recognises the need for strong, home-grown clean energy supply chains to support good jobs and support sustainable economic growth as we accelerate to net zero. Our Clean Industries Sector Plan sets out a strong offer for domestic manufactu...
Answered 13 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFuel Cells and Hydrogen: ExportsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77844More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans his Department has to support exports of UK-manufactured hydrogen and fuel cell technologies to international markets.
Answer: Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies constitute a frontier Industrial Strategy sector, so the government has committed targeted support to boost exports by showcasing UK capabilities through our global network, increasing access to international supply cha...
Answered 13 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHydrogenDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77843More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to introduce additional incentives for hydrogen project developers to source (a) equipment and (b) components from UK manufacturers.
Answer: In the Industrial Strategy, we set out the UK's potential to be a global leader in both hydrogen deployment and supply chains, given the shared skills and infrastructure from the oil and gas sector, existing strengths in innovation, and our supportive pol...
Answered 17 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFuel Cells and HydrogenDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 16 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77842More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that UK-manufactured (a) hydrogen and (b) fuel cell technologies are affected by (i) current and (ii) future (A) hydrogen production and (B) usag
Answer: The UK is taking a whole-system approach to developing a hydrogen economy, putting in place the policy and regulatory frameworks needed to support deployment and attract private investment across the full hydrogen value chain. We are driving demand throug...
Answered 17 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: Learning Disability and Mental IllnessDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 15 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77363More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what performance metrics his Department uses to monitor whether Universal Credit agent responses to online journal messages are (a) accessible and (b) compliant with Departmental guidance for claimants
Answer: There is no performance metric to monitor accessibility within the Department. However, all staff complete mandatory training on the Public Sector Equality Duty, and a wide range of support is available—including instructions, guides, and awareness sessio...
Answered 23 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: Learning Disability and Mental IllnessDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 15 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77362More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many hours of (a) initial and (b) refresher training Universal Credit agents receive on supporting claimants with learning disabilities or mental health conditions; and at what intervals refresher t
Answer: Universal Credit agents and Work Coaches receive a range of training to equip them to support customers with health conditions, learning disabilities, and additional or complex needs throughout their role. Key training includes: Mandatory mental health le...
Answered 17 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: Learning Disability and Mental IllnessDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 15 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77361More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training his Department provides to (a) Universal Credit agents and (b) Work Coaches on communicating with claimants who have learning disabilities or mental health conditions when responding to me
Answer: Universal Credit agents and Work Coaches receive a range of training to equip them to support customers with health conditions, learning disabilities, and additional or complex needs throughout their role. Key training includes: Mandatory mental health le...
Answered 17 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture and Business: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75821More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate her Department has made of the (a) staffing, (b) system, (c) compliance and (d) other costs of (i) implementing and (ii) administering the proposed changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business
Answer: I refer to the answer given on 5 September 2025 at UIN 70546 :https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-08-29/70546
Answered 11 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordEmployment: DisabilityDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75820More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to launch the review into the Disability Confident Scheme.
Answer: My officials and I have been working with a wide range of stakeholders—including disabled people, the Devolved Governments, disability organisations, employers, and sector experts—throughout the summer to explore potential reforms to the Disability Confid...
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordTrials: WiltshireMinistry of JusticeTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75819More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of staff shortages in His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service on delays to criminal trials in Wiltshire.
Answer: Staffing allocations are in line with current workload across the courts in Wiltshire, although recruitment can be an issue, particularly in Swindon where the competition in the job market is high. That said, administrative staff at both the Crown Court a...
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordCourts: WiltshireMinistry of JusticeTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75818More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions he has had with HM Courts and Tribunals Service on addressing the backlog of criminal cases in Wiltshire.
Answer: The outstanding caseload in the criminal courts remains one of the biggest challenges facing the Criminal Justice System. Ministers meet regularly with the judiciary and HMCTS to discuss shared priorities, including the criminal courts caseload. For this...
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordCourts: WiltshireMinistry of JusticeTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75817More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of court capacity in Wiltshire to meet expected caseloads in the next five years.
Answer: This Government inherited record and rising courts backlog. In the criminal courts jurisdiction, we have funded a record-high allocation of 110,000 Crown Court sitting days across England and Wales this financial year to deliver swifter justice for victim...
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordDevelopment AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 72441More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will publish his Department’s assessment of the potential impact of reductions in Overseas Development Assistance on UK-supported initiatives in (a) health system devel
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the Equalities Impact Assessment published for the 2025/26 Official Development Assistance programme allocations.
Answered 17 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordDevelopment AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 72440More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of Official Development Assistance was spent on (a) in-donor refugee costs and (b) overseas (i) poverty reduction, (ii) humanitarian aid and (iii) sustainable
Answer: The UK reports its Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend on a calendar year basis in the Statistics on International Development.Based on the provisional statistics published in April, in 2024, 20 per cent (£2.8 billion) of UK ODA was spent on in-do...
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordInvestment: Rural AreasDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 72054More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what consideration his Department has given to investment strategies for (a) Wiltshire and (b) other rural areas which do not fall within the catchment areas of (i) large cities and (ii) mayoral combin
Answer: The Office for Investment is aligned with the UK's Industrial Strategy, focusing on growth-driving and foundational sectors. The OfI will actively pursue and manage investment projects that support national growth missions and infrastructure strategies, a...
Answered 12 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordEconomic SituationDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 72052More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has conducted region-specific modelling of economic spillover effects in (a) Wiltshire and (b) other counties.
Answer: The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has not undertaken region-specific modelling of economic spillover effects for (a) Wiltshire or (b) other individual counties. In developing place-based policy, DBT may draw on cross-government evidence—for exam...
Answered 5 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordManufacturing Industries: Rural AreasDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 72050More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Answer of 23 July 2025 to Question 62821 on Manufacturing Industries: Rural Areas, what the evidential basis is for the conclusion that investment in city-based advanced manufactu
Answer: Everywhere will benefit from the Industrial Strategy’s national policy offer – there are clusters of the growth driving sectors across the whole country including in rural areas and our package addresses the biggest constraints to growth highlighted by th...
Answered 12 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordEducation: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 16 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 68638More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the national funding formula on educational outcomes in (a) rural areas, (b) Wiltshire and (c) other counties with lower levels of funding.
Answer: The government recognises the essential role that small schools play in their communities, many of which are in rural areas. The schools national funding formula (NFF) accounts for the particular challenges faced by small schools in rural areas through th...
Answered 25 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 16 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 68637More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to amend the high needs funding formula to reflect current levels of need and not historic expenditure.
Answer: Our aim is to establish a fair education funding system that directs resources to where they are most needed and enable improved support and outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).Because it is import...
Answered 25 Jul 2025
Original Parliament record
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