Sarah Olney MP: written questions
136 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Artificial Intelligence: RegulationDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 3 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64787More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when he plans to publish a consultation on the regulation of frontier AI systems.
Answer: Artificial intelligence is the defining opportunity of our generation, and the Government is taking action to harness its economic benefits for UK citizens. As set out in the AI Opportunities Action Plan, we believe most AI systems should be regulated at ...
Answered 11 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) BillDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 1 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 64045More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to provide additional funding for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.
Answer: The Government is neutral on the passing of this Bill and the principle of assisted dying. Should it be the will of Parliament for this legislation to pass, the Government would address the issue of funding at the appropriate time.In the meantime, I refer...
Answered 15 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordFinancial Services: Ethnic GroupsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62745More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has considered convening a cross-agency taskforce with the (a) Financial Conduct Authority, (b) Prudential Regulation Authority, (c) British Business Bank, (d) HM Treasury and (e) Lending St
Answer: The government’s approach to support equitable outcomes for businesses led by ethnic minorities and other underserved groups is to work with the financial services sector, building on a shared commitment to fairness and equality and exchanging knowledge o...
Answered 3 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordBusiness: Ethnic GroupsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62743More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with the (a) Financial Conduct Authority and (b) Prudential Regulation Authority on (i) monitoring and (ii) supporting equitable outcomes for ethnic minority businesses.
Answer: The government’s approach to support equitable outcomes for businesses led by ethnic minorities and other underserved groups is to work with the financial services sector, building on a shared commitment to fairness and equality and exchanging knowledge o...
Answered 3 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartmental Coordination and Public BodiesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62742More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure effective (a) collaboration and (b) transparency across (i) Government strategies and (ii) public bodies.
Answer: I have regular meetings and discussions with Cabinet colleagues to ensure close collaboration and transparency on strategy development, most recently on the Industrial and Trade Strategies, which were the result of close working across government departme...
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordBus Services: FaresDepartment for TransportTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62741More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the increase in the bus fare cap on (a) small businesses and (b) workers in rural areas.
Answer: The government recognises the importance of affordable public transport in keeping people connected and ensuring they can access their local towns.On 1 January, the government introduced a £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London until 31 Dece...
Answered 1 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordInfrastructure: Coastal Areas and Rural AreasDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62740More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to fund (a) rural and (b) coastal (i) infrastructure and (ii) services.
Answer: This Government is committed to improving the quality of life for people living and working in coastal and rural areas, so that we can realise the full potential of rural business and communities. In addition to funding for sustainable farming and nature ...
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordSkills EnglandDepartment for EducationTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62737More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it his policy to reconstitute Skills England as an independent body.
Answer: Skills England has been established as an executive agency of the Department for Education, a model of arm’s length body with a clearly defined status, established and governed in line with Cabinet Office guidance. As an executive agency, Skills England w...
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordLifelong Learning EntitlementDepartment for EducationTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62735More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the introduction of lifelong learning grants.
Answer: The government recognises that lifelong learning is a core part of a sustainable higher education system which provides opportunities for all and offers learners greater flexibility in an ever-evolving economy. We are committed to supporting lifelong lear...
Answered 16 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordUK Emissions Trading Scheme: EU Emissions Trading SchemeDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62734More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he expects the UK will be ready to enter the carbon market linking the UK’s emissions trading scheme with that of the EU.
Answer: The UK and the EU have agreed to work towards linking the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) and EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) as announced at the Sumit on 19 May. To that end the UK and the EU have agreed the parameters for linking agreement, wh...
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: Bipolar DisorderDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 24 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62271More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposed welfare reforms on people with bipolar disorder.
Answer: As I made clear in my statement to the House, Hansard, 1 July, col 219, any changes to PIP eligibility will come after a comprehensive review of the benefit, which I am leading, and which will be co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that re...
Answered 2 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordShared Ownership Schemes: DisabilityMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 24 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62241More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she is taking steps to ensure that a proportion of shared ownership homes are adapted to be accessible to those with physical disabilities.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 53184 on 27 May 2025.
Answered 2 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: DisabilityMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 24 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62237More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that a proportion of new build homes are adapted to be accessible to people with physical disabilities.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 53184 on 27 May 2025.
Answered 2 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordNight Flying: HealthDepartment for TransportTabled 24 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62219More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential impact of night flights on the health of people living underneath airport flight paths.
Answer: My Department seeks to minimise the impact of aviation on people’s health, in the context of other government priorities. My officials are in regular contact on this issue with other government departments and their agencies, including the Department of H...
Answered 30 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordHammersmith Bridge: ComponentsDepartment for TransportTabled 18 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 60885More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham on the fatigue life of components of Hammersmith Bridge.
Answer: My officials are in regular contact with their counterparts at both the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and Transport for London regarding the condition of Hammersmith Bridge and options for repair.
Answered 24 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordDevelopment AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57313More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of reductions to the Official Development Aid on (a) the VSO and (b) other British companies with a significant pres
Answer: Decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used are being worked through as part of the ongoing allocations process following the Spending Review. This will be based on various factors, including impact assessments.We are wo...
Answered 18 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordImmigrationHome OfficeTabled 4 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57312More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with regards to her Department's White Paper on Restoring control over the immigration system, published 12 May, if she will publish further information on how changes to the (a) standard qualifying p
Answer: We will reform our settlement and citizenship rules by expanding the Points-Based System and increasing the standard qualifying period for settlement to ten years.Individuals will have the opportunity to reduce the qualifying period to settlement and citi...
Answered 17 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordVisas: British National (Overseas)Home OfficeTabled 4 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57311More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of her Department's White paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, on British National (0verseas) Vi
Answer: The British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) route was launched on 31 January 2021 in response to China’s passing of the National Security Law. The route reflects the UK’s historic and moral commitment to those people of Hong Kong who chose to retain their tie...
Answered 13 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordTaxis: Greater LondonDepartment for TransportTabled 3 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 56865More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help tackle the delay in TfL issuing Public Carriage Office licences to people (a) with health conditions who are ineligible for the temporary license and (b) who have faced personal
Answer: The Department for Transport is responsible for setting the regulatory structure within which local licensing authorities in England license the taxi and private hire vehicle trades but ultimately the licensing process is left at the discretion of local a...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordChildren: ProtectionDepartment for EducationTabled 3 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 56864More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's statutory guidance entitled Working Together to Safeguard Children, updated 8 May 2025, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of including adoptive parent
Answer: The ‘Working together to safeguard children’ statutory guidance is multi-agency guidance that sets out the help, support and protection available to all children and their families. Where the guidance refers to parents, this includes adoptive parents. The...
Answered 11 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordElectoral Register: InternetMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 2 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 56301More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of (a) the duplication of scanned signatures and (b) technical problems with the Electoral Registration Officer Portal since its introduction in 2023
Answer: On 13 May 2025, MHCLG identified a software bug with the batch application upload functionality on the Electoral Registration Officer Portal (ERO Portal), which had existed since 21 March 2024. The bug could lead to misallocated signature images for cer...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordDomestic Abuse: ChildrenHome OfficeTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55171More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help ensure that (a) police and (b) independent schools can share data in relation to (i) Operation Encompass and (ii) the implementation of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2
Answer: The Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 introduced a duty on all 43 police forces to make Operation Encompass notifications to schools after attending a domestic abuse incident in a child’s home before the start of the next school day.The Home Office is curren...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordHammersmith BridgeDepartment for TransportTabled 20 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53600More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Transport will meet the hon. Member for Richmond Park to discuss the future of Hammersmith Bridge.
Answer: My officials are working with the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and Transport for London to progress viable options for the future of Hammersmith Bridge. I would be pleased to discuss these with the hon. Member for Richmond Park in due course.
Answered 29 May 2025
Original Parliament recordInfected Blood Compensation SchemeCabinet OfficeTabled 15 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52633More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he expects all payments by the Infected Blood Compensation Authority to eligible people to be made.
Answer: The recently published Framework Document sets out the timelines agreed between IBCA and Cabinet Office; namely for the bulk of infected people to be paid no later than the end of 2027 and the bulk of affected people to be paid no later than the end of 20...
Answered 27 May 2025
Original Parliament recordInfected Blood Compensation SchemeCabinet OfficeTabled 15 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52632More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of eligible people have received compensation from the Infected Blood Compensation Authority.
Answer: Due to the nature of the Infected Blood scandal there is uncertainty over the number of people, especially those affected, who might be eligible for compensation. The final number of eligible people will ultimately depend on the number of victims who come...
Answered 23 May 2025
Original Parliament record
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