Siân Berry MP: written questions 2026
149 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Students: LoansDepartment for EducationTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2654More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the quality of communications materials about student loans and their terms, in particular the communication of risk and long-term costs to vulnerable students; and what steps sh
Answer: Prospective students have access to a wide range of information across a range of platforms before they submit their loan application including, but not limited to, GOV.UK, where students can access the student finance calculator, Student Loan Company (SL...
Answered 2 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordOverseas Students: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2653More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the total annual value of inward investment attributable to international students in each of the last five years; and what the average contribution of international student was in
Answer: The government is committed to a United Kingdom that is outward looking and welcomes international students who make a positive contribution to the UK’s higher education (HE) sector, our economy and society as a whole.The Higher Education Statistics Agenc...
Answered 3 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: ReformDepartment for EducationTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2530More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what definition is being used for ‘complex needs’ under the proposed reforms set out in the consultation, SEND reform: Putting children and young people first.
Answer: In the department’s consultation ‘Special educational needs and disabilities reform: putting children and young people first’, the term ’complex needs’ is used to describe children and young people who require support at the specialist level which will be...
Answered 11 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: ReformDepartment for EducationTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2528More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the threshold will be for an EHC needs assessment and an EHC plan under the proposed reforms set out in the consultation, SEND reform: Putting children and young people first.
Answer: We propose in future only children and young people who require the support of a Specialist Provision Package (SPP) will be eligible for an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan.The provision offer set out in the Specialist Provision Packages will underpi...
Answered 9 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: ReformDepartment for EducationTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2527More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how the provision set out in Individual Support Plans for children with SEND under the potential reforms proposed in the consultation, SEND reform: Putting children and young people first, would be enforced.
Answer: The Individual Support Plan (ISP) is intended as a clear and consistent record of a child or young person's needs and the support they receive, helping settings and families understand what support is being put in place, track outcomes and determine wheth...
Answered 3 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordActive TravelDepartment for TransportTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2525More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Active Lives survey measure of engaging in active travel at least twice in the last 28 days as an indicator of levels of regular walking and cycling in the Lo
Answer: The Active Lives survey collects physical activity data in England and therefore provides a consistent way of measuring changes in active travel over time. The large sample size generates a robust annual measure for each local authority. The National Trav...
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordBus Services: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2524More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether local authorities have any flexibility to use capital funding allocated either through the Local Authority Bus Grant or the Transport for City Regions fund as revenue funding for related bus operations.
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of local authorities having funding to support bus operations. However, improving the infrastructure that underpins these services is essential to delivering better and more affordable services. This can only be ac...
Answered 27 May 2026
Original Parliament recordA1 (M): FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2523More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much National Highways is setting aside for the next ten years, in (a) revenue, and (b) capital costs, to operate and maintain the A1(M) now that it has been handed back to National Highways after the expir
Answer: National Highways has funding agreed through the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) until March 2031 to maintain and renew the A1(M) Alconbury to Peterborough to the same standards as the rest of the network. A c.£47m regional revenue budget in 2026‑27...
Answered 15 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordA1 (M): ContractsDepartment for TransportTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2522More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much the 30-year contract to Design, Build, Finance and Operate (DBFO) the A1(M) has cost the public finances during each financial year of the concession up to 31 March 2026, and to provide these costs in
Answer: The costs associated with the A1(M) Alconbury to Peterborough DBFO contract vary by year and reflect actual payments made during the concession. Annual expenditure ranged from £5.8 million in 1996‑97 to a forecast £30.6 million for 2025‑26, with a total f...
Answered 29 May 2026
Original Parliament recordPolice: BiometricsHome OfficeTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2521More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to the answer to question UIN 92784, and in light of the publication of the Metropolitan Police Annual Report on the use of live facial recognition (LFR) in September 2025, if she will ask all
Answer: The Police Reform Bill will introduce a new legal framework to underpin law enforcement use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies, and this will give due consideration to reporting and transparency.
Answered 21 May 2026
Original Parliament recordHorticulture: PlasticsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2519More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to monitor inconsistencies between local authorities in the recycling of plant pots (excluding black plant pots), following the introduction of legislation for
Answer: Part 4 of Schedule 1 to The Separation of Waste (England) Regulations 2024 provides a list of plastics which are included in the recyclable plastic waste stream. This includes PE, PET and PP pots which are larger than 40x40mm and do not contain any pigmen...
Answered 11 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordHomelessness: Brighton and HoveMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2517More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Local Government and Homelessness in the debate on Temporary Accommodation: Out of Area Placements on 20 January 2026,
Answer: Legislation and statutory guidance are clear that local authorities should, wherever possible, place homeless households within their own area. If this is not possible, they should secure accommodation as close as possible to where the household was previ...
Answered 26 May 2026
Original Parliament recordPublic LavatoriesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2516More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a duty on local authorities to provide a minimum level of provision of free access to public toilets in (a) tow
Answer: In keeping with our commitment to funding simplification, the Government has no current plans to introduce a statutory duty or ringfenced funding relating to public toilet provision. Local authorities best understand local needs and are therefore best pla...
Answered 27 May 2026
Original Parliament recordFire and Rescue Services: Innovation and ResearchMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2515More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress his Department has made on considering (a) the establishment of a research college and (b) the implementation of an Areas of Research Interest approach to support r
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of research and innovation in supporting effective fire and rescue services.The Government accepted the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s recommendation to establish a College of Fire and Rescue. The Inquiry envisaged that ...
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: Workplace PensionsCabinet OfficeTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2514More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of Capita's ability to operate the Civil Service Pension contract under its current terms when the recovery plan concludes.
Answer: The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government. The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension ...
Answered 21 May 2026
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: Workplace PensionsCabinet OfficeTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2513More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of staffing resources at Capita to manage case volume, following the Civil Service Pensions recovery plan being completed.
Answer: The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government. The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension ...
Answered 21 May 2026
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: Workplace PensionsCabinet OfficeTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2512More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the need for (a) additional resources and (b) mechanisms to award compensation to those who have experienced hardship and financial losses due to Civil Service Pensions processing
Answer: The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government. The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension ...
Answered 21 May 2026
Original Parliament recordSovereign AI FundDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 872More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the government will guarantee that the Sovereign AI Fund will only invest in companies that it reasonably believes adhere to UK copyright law.
Answer: The Sovereign AI Fund operates on a commercial basis and within the UK’s existing legal framework. Companies supported through Sovereign AI undergo due diligence before receiving funds or other support and are expected to comply with all applicable laws, ...
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordSovereign AI Fund: Public AppointmentsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 869More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps have been taken to ensure that any appointment to lead the Sovereign AI Fund is made on merit through a transparent and open competition, rather than being influenced by pers
Answer: The Managing Partner of the Sovereign AI Fund has been appointed following a three-month, competitive, five-stage recruitment process involving over 60 candidates. The individual was judged to be the strongest candidate on merit against the skills and exp...
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordSovereign AI FundDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 868More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps are being taken to ensure value for money for taxpayers in the deployment of the £500 million Sovereign AI Fund, and what criteria will be used to assess the Fund’s success i
Answer: Delivering value for money for taxpayers is central to the Sovereign AI Fund. This will be assessed through robust monitoring and evaluation against the Fund’s strategic objectives, including its effectiveness in growing and anchoring strategically signif...
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordSovereign AI FundDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 867More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what governance structures are in place to oversee investment decisions made by the Sovereign AI Fund, and what role Ministers, the Department, and the Fund’s Chair will have in approvi
Answer: Delivering value for money for taxpayers is central to the Sovereign AI Fund. This will be assessed through robust monitoring and evaluation against the Fund’s strategic objectives, including its effectiveness in growing and anchoring strategically signif...
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordSovereign AI Fund: Public AppointmentsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 866More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what the formal remit, decision-making powers and accountability mechanisms will be for the individual appointed to lead the Sovereign AI Fund, including how they will be held accountab
Answer: The Managing Partner of the Sovereign AI Fund has been appointed following a three-month, competitive, five-stage recruitment process involving over 60 candidates. The individual was judged to be the strongest candidate on merit against the skills and exp...
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordSovereign AI Fund: Public AppointmentsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 865More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment has been made of potential conflicts of interest in relation to the proposed appointment of Suzanne Ashman to lead the Sovereign AI Fund, including her previous roles in
Answer: The Managing Partner of the Sovereign AI Fund has been appointed following a three-month, competitive, five-stage recruitment process involving over 60 candidates. The individual was judged to be the strongest candidate on merit against the skills and exp...
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordSovereign AI Unit: Public AppointmentsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 864More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recruitment process has been followed for the appointment of a Chief Executive or equivalent lead to the Sovereign AI Unit, and whether that process has been conducted in accordanc
Answer: The Managing Partner of the Sovereign AI Fund has been appointed following a three-month, competitive, five-stage recruitment process involving over 60 candidates. The individual was judged to be the strongest candidate on merit against the skills and exp...
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordProscribed Organisations: ArrestsHome OfficeTabled 26 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 124404More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the cost for providing potential redress to people who were arrested for supporting a proscribed organisation whose proscription was reversed; and clarify whether her
Answer: The investigation and prosecution of criminal offences, including determining whether an offence has been committed or not, is a matter for the police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) who are operationally independent of government.Proscription decisio...
Answered 13 Apr 2026
Original Parliament record
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