Simon Opher MP: written questions
340 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Agriculture: GrantsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32182More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Capital Grant scheme for farmers will re-open for applications.
Answer: Defra announced on the 24 February that the Environmental Land Management standalone Capital Grants scheme will re-open in summer 2025. We will confirm the date it will re-open in due course.
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordRefugees: UkraineHome OfficeTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32181More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will automate the visa extension scheme application process for people applying to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme.
Answer: The UK has offered or extended sanctuary to over 300,000 Ukrainians and their families under the Ukraine Schemes, thanks to the immense generosity of the British public. We are determined to continue to provide stability for those we have welcomed to the ...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordClimate Change: Developing CountriesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32120More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a regional allocation system similar to flood and coastal management funding to support local authorities and
Answer: Local authorities have a critical role in responding to the impacts of climate change in their areas. The Government is currently reviewing its approach to Climate Adaptation, including the tools and support we give to Local Authorities. in terms of finan...
Answered 27 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordRiver Frome: BeaversDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32119More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the release of wild beavers in the River Frome.
Answer: This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only. The Government recently confirmed its position on the wild release of beavers in an announcement on 28 February. A licence is needed to release any beavers into the...
Answered 17 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS 111: StandardsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32110More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the average response time for the NHS 111 service.
Answer: The Government is committed to continuing to improve NHS 111 to ensure that patients can access the right care the first time, only visiting accident and emergency services when necessary. This includes through growing the clinical workforce, making urgen...
Answered 7 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS 111: Older PeopleDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32109More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the NHS 111 service is accessible to elderly patients.
Answer: NHS 111 is designed to be widely accessible and used by as many people as possible, including elderly patients. Patients can get help from NHS 111 by calling 111 for free from a landline or mobile phone, as well as in the NHS App and by using 111 online. ...
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordOsteoporosis: DiagnosisDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32108More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to deliver early diagnosis services for osteoporosis.
Answer: On 6 January 2025, NHS England published a new Elective Reform Plan, which sets out a whole system approach to achieving the 18-week referral to treatment target by the end of this Parliament. The plan includes funding to boost bone density (DEXA) scannin...
Answered 28 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordHomelessnessMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32078More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to end homelessness; and what steps she plans to take to involve people with lived experience.
Answer: Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected. The Deputy Prime Minister is leading cross-government work to deliver the long-term solutions we need to get us back on track to ending all forms of homelessness. ...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordCaravans: SalesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32073More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to stop the mis-selling of static caravans via the holiday park industry.
Answer: The Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires that all terms of written contracts must be fair and transparent. Additionally, the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 prohibit unfair and misleading marketing tactics towards consumers. These ru...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordCaravans: SalesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32072More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing new customer protections for individuals that purchase static caravans, in the context of alleged reporting of mis-selling.
Answer: The Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires that all terms of written contracts must be fair and transparent. Additionally, the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 prohibit unfair and misleading marketing tactics towards consumers. These ru...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHoliday Accommodation: RegulationDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32071More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department's proposed regulations on short-term lets will be extended to include static caravan holiday parks.
Answer: Parliament legislated to deliver the legal framework for a registration scheme for short-term lets in the Levelling up and Regeneration Act 2023. The Government is now developing the scheme and actively considering the appropriate scope of the scheme, inc...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordClimate and Nature BillDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32040More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to improve data reporting on consumption emissions, in the context of commitments made during the Climate and Nature Bill Second Reading debate on 2
Answer: This Government is absolutely committed to tackling the climate and nature crises and has agreed steps to take forward the spirit and substance of the Climate and Nature Bill with the Bill’s Sponsors. An update on these steps will be set out in a Minister...
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordNature ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32039More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to implement changes to binding commitments on nature protection, in the context of assurances made during the Climate and Nature Bill Second Readin
Answer: The Government is committed to deliver for nature, taking action to meet our Environment Act targets, to restore and protect our natural world. We will develop a new, statutory plan to protect and restore our natural environment with delivery information ...
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 31642More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport on ensuring that constraints on the strategic road network do not prevent local authorities from
Answer: The Secretary of State regularly engages with cabinet colleagues on matters of strategic importance. The government recognises the importance of ensuring that new housing development is supported by infrastructure, including transport. The National Planni...
Answered 25 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordNurses: TrainingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30274More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the number of entry level nursing roles.
Answer: Decisions about recruitment, including for entry level nursing roles, are matters for individual National Health Service trusts. NHS trusts manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right sk...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordClimate ChangeDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30197More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to strengthen the National Adaptation Programme.
Answer: Alongside delivering a new National Adaptation Programme we are committed to strengthening the nation’s resilience, and we are considering a range of options to better embed climate adaptation across the whole of Government. This includes:further work to ...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordCommunity EnergyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30192More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will publish a timeline for the implementation of his local power plans policy.
Answer: We are progressing the Great British Energy (GBE) Bill through Parliament, and in October’s Spending Review the Chancellor announced £25 million to establish the company, with a further £100 million of capital funding to spend in 2025/26 so that GBE can s...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPregnancyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 7 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29922More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the average body mass index of pregnant women in the (a) most recent period for which data is available and (b) five years before the most recent period for
Answer: The Government is committed to ensuring that all women and babies receive safe, personalised, equitable and compassionate maternity and neonatal care. As part of this, we know that it is vital to support women before, during and after pregnancy.In the mos...
Answered 17 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordActive Travel: Rural AreasDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29056More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Active Travel England funding allocation formula on (a) rural and (b) semi-rural areas; and whether she plans to review the use of per capi
Answer: Local authority allocations for Active Travel England (ATE) funding are calculated using a formula based on both population and capability level. This enables investment to be focused on cost effective schemes that have high potential to convert short veh...
Answered 11 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Mission Board: RecruitmentDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29007More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Health Mission Delivery Board has appointed external experts.
Answer: We have established a cross-Government Health Mission Delivery Board to take forward work on the health mission. The core membership of the board is made up of key ministers including my Rt. Hon. Friends, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care ...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPreventive MedicineDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29006More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the health mission delivery board on the prevention of ill health.
Answer: Mission Boards are Cabinet Committees. It is a long-established precedent that information about the proceedings of the Cabinet, or of any committee of the Cabinet, is not normally shared publicly, and this includes mission boards.The Health Mission, whic...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPreventive MedicineDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28669More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on the five-point prevention plan.
Answer: The Government is committed to tackling the United Kingdom’s biggest killers and building a fairer UK, where everyone lives longer, healthier lives. This is why our Health Mission aims to shift away from a model geared towards late diagnosis and treatment...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Mission BoardDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28668More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Health Mission Delivery Board will next meet.
Answer: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care chairs a cross-Government Health Mission Board to oversee and drive delivery of the Health Mission. The current membership of the Health Mission Board includes the Chancellor of the Duch...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Mission BoardDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28667More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Health Mission Delivery Board last met.
Answer: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care chairs a cross-Government Health Mission Board to oversee and drive delivery of the Health Mission. The current membership of the Health Mission Board includes the Chancellor of the Duch...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPreventive MedicineDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28666More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the five-point prevention plan.
Answer: The Government is committed to tackling the United Kingdom’s biggest killers and building a fairer UK, where everyone lives longer, healthier lives. This is why our Health Mission aims to shift away from a model geared towards late diagnosis and treatment...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament record
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