Siân Berry MP: written questions 2025
199 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Workplace Pensions: InflationDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 27 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34538More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information her Department holds on the number of American Express retirees in the UK impacted by the lack of statutory inflation protection for pre-1997 defined benefit pensions.
Answer: The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold individual occupational pension scheme data. Discretionary increases in benefits above the statutory minimum and those required by scheme rules are a matter for the scheme sponsor and trustees.
Answered 6 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordLeasehold: Legal Costs and Service ChargesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 27 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34537More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Statement of 21 November 2024 on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform, HCWS244, what her planned timetable is to (a) consult and (b) bring measures into
Answer: As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement in question, the government will consult this year on the Act’s provisions on service charges and on legal costs, bringing these measures into force as quickly as possible thereafter.
Answered 12 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Written QuestionsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32516More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to answer Question 23103 on Air Pollution, published on 9 January 2025.
Answer: The next review of our statutory Air Quality Strategy is due to be completed by mid-2028. We intend to bring forward that date whilst ensuring we have time to work closely with stakeholders to co-design the new strategy.
Answered 27 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Climate ChangeForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29871More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his speech entitled The Kew Lecture: Foreign Secretary's speech on the climate crisis, given on 17 September 2024, whether he has made any changes to staffi
Answer: The Kew Lecture announced that UK Special Representatives for Climate and Nature would be appointed. Rachel Kyte CMG and Ruth Davis OBE took up these roles on 21 October and 15 November, respectively. In addition, several Foreign, Commonwealth and Develop...
Answered 17 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: AppealsHome OfficeTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29857More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to Official Tribunals Statistics quarterly: July to September 2024, what analysis has been done of the reasons for the increase in asylum appeal cases in the category of Asylum/Protecti
Answer: Both the Tribunal Statistics Quarterly: July to September 2024 to which the question refers, published by the Ministry of Justice, and the latest Immigration System Statistics quarterly release, published by Home Office, explain that the rise in asylum ap...
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: ApplicationsHome OfficeTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29852More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the report from the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration entitled An inspection of asylum casework June-October 2023, published on 29 February 2024, whether she has
Answer: This report deals wholly with the Asylum Casework system under the previous administration.The Home Office partially accepted the recommendation made in the report by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration 2024 “ICIBI annual report for...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: StandardsHome OfficeTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29851More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the report by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration entitled An inspection of Asylum Casework June-October 2023, whether her Department has taken steps to introd
Answer: This report deals wholly with the Asylum Casework system under the previous administration.The Home Office partially accepted the recommendation made in the report by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration 2024 “ICIBI annual report for...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordHomes for Ukraine SchemeMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29804More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reason thank you payments to sponsors hosting refugees from Ukraine for more than 12 months will reduce from £500 to £350 from 1 April 2025; and what assessment she has
Answer: To fund our continued support through the 18 month Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme visa period, and ensure it is affordable within government budgets, we have taken the difficult decision to reduce the level of thank you payments.We recognise that thi...
Answered 18 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordGaza: Politics and GovernmentForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29269More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of comments by President Trump on Gaza on the (a) Camp David Accords and (b) Wadi Araba Treaty.
Answer: The Egypt-Israel (Camp David) and Jordan-Israel (Wadi Araba) peace treaties were historic achievements. The US played an integral part in facilitating negotiations between Israel, Jordan and Egypt that has resulted in lasting peace. That is why we support...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordGaza: PalestiniansForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29268More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the US President's proposals on the transfer of Palestinians from Gaza.
Answer: The Foreign Secretary had a call with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on 27 January, prior to President Trump's comments on Gaza. The readout is available on gov.uk. We continue to engage closely with the US Administration across the spectrum of issues rel...
Answered 17 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordFuels: AviationDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28802More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his Department's policies on renewable electricity generation of the Royal Society's report entitled Net zero aviation fuels: r
Answer: The report in question considers four potential net zero aviation fuels: hydrogen, ammonia, synthetic fuels (efuels) and biofuels. Recommendations include the need for further Research and Development of the efficient production, storage and use of green ...
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: BiofuelsDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28801More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the amount of agricultural land required for bio-aviation fuels to meet (a) existing and (b) potential demand to allow for expansion of (i) Heathrow airport and (ii) oth
Answer: The Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) mandate scheme is driving the uptake of lower carbon fuels used in aviation. The scheme does not support the supply of biofuels made from food, feed or energy crops. SAF must be made from sustainable wastes or residues ...
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordFood: ProductionDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28800More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for his Department's policies on food production of the report by the Royal Society entitled Net zero aviation fuels: resource requirements and envir
Answer: The report in question concluded that a significant proportion of the UK’s land would be required for fuel production if crops were used to decarbonise aviation. The UK’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate, which is designed to increase the amount o...
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Energy Security and Net Zero: StaffDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 3 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28370More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many staff in his Department are working primarily on (a) fossil fuels, (b) renewables excluding biomass, (c) biomass, (d) carbon capture and storage, (e) nuclear energy, (f) energy netwo
Answer: The Department has around 4600 full time equivalents (FTE) working across multiple policy areas and programmes. These include renewables, biomass, carbon capture and storage, nuclear, energy networks, oil and gas, energy storage and energy efficiency, amo...
Answered 11 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordClyde Naval Base and RNAD Coulport: PlanningMinistry of DefenceTabled 31 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27939More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2024 to Question 17711 on Clyde Naval Base and RNAD Coulport, if he will publish the (a) name, (b) purpose, (c) expected in-service date and (d) forecast cost of planned infr
Answer: There are a number of infrastructure projects at different levels of maturity that do not fall within the Clyde Infrastructure Programme at HMNB Clyde, however as they consist of nuclear and non-nuclear supporting infrastructure to support submarine opera...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordHeathrow Airport: ConstructionDepartment for TransportTabled 28 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27083More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential cost of building one new runway at Heathrow Airport.
Answer: The Government is clear that any expansion scheme will be financed in its entirety by the private sector. The exact cost of the runway will be determined by the parameters of any scheme brought forward by scheme promoters.
Answered 4 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordHeathrow Airport: ConstructionTreasuryTabled 28 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27082More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential economic (a) costs and (b) benefits of an expansion of Heathrow Airport.
Answer: According to the most recent study from Frontier Economics, a third runway could increase potential GDP by 0.43% in by 2050 and could create over 100,000 jobs. Over half – 60% - of that GDP boost would go to areas outside London and South-East. The exact ...
Answered 5 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordAir PollutionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 9 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23103More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to involve communities and stakeholders in the development of a new Clean Air Strategy; and what his planned timetable is for completing the strategy.
Answer: The Government is committed to meeting current legal targets for air quality, including the targets recently set under the Environment Act 2021, and will review the policy measures needed to achieve them. The Government launched a rapid review of the Envi...
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordEnvironment ProtectionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 9 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23102More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's press release entitled, Government launches rapid review to meet Environment Act targets, published on 30 July 2024, whether the rapid review of the
Answer: The Government has concluded the review of Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) which is informing the development of a revised EIP. The Government will publish a statement of rapid review key findings in early 2025, to be followed by publication of a rev...
Answered 16 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordAir Pollution: MonitoringDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 9 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23101More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he will publish the (a) interim and (b) final report from the Air Quality Information System Review.
Answer: The Air Quality Information System Review has now concluded. The final report and accompanying reports will be published shortly.
Answered 16 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordAir PollutionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 9 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23100More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2024 to Question 7788 on Air Pollution, if his Department will take steps to amend clean air targets to bring the UK in line with the European Unio
Answer: The Government is committed to cleaning up our air and protecting the public from the harm of pollution. We recognise the importance of ambitious yet achievable air quality targets, supported by robust delivery plans, which is why the Government has launc...
Answered 16 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordBus Services: ConcessionsDepartment for TransportTabled 9 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23099More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Independent report by the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee entitled DPTAC position on the eligibility criteria for concessionary bus travel, published on 17 August 2022, wheth
Answer: The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently sixty-six. The ENCTS costs around £700 million annually and, while the Department keep...
Answered 15 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPress: RegulationDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 9 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23098More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 November 2024 to Question 14270 on Press: Regulation, what work her Department is undertaking on this issue; which other Departments have participated; and if she wil
Answer: DCMS works with a range of other Departments, including the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and the Home Office, to support a free, plural, and financia...
Answered 17 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordAlaa Abd El-FattahForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 8 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 902162More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help secure the release of Alaa Abd El-Fattah.
Answer: We are committed to securing Mr El-Fattah’s release so he can be reunited with his family and we continue to raise his case at the highest levels of the Egyptian government. The Prime Minister wrote to President Sisi on 26 December 2024 and 8 January 2025...
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament record
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