Sojan Joseph MP: written questions
37 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Parking Offences: FinesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 1 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15246More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing regulations for standard fines in car parks owned by private operators.
Answer: The government is carefully considering options on the level of the private parking charge cap as part of its work to introduce a new private parking Code of Practice. The government intends to lay this new Code before parliament in autumn 2026.
Answered 6 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 26 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13694More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his department has made of the impact of nutrient neutrality requirements on small-scale residential developments.
Answer: The Impact Assessment for the Planning and Infrastructure Act can be found here.
Answered 1 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordSewers: Property DevelopmentDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 26 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13693More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her department has made of the capacity and environmental performance of sewage treatment infrastructure serving new housing developments.
Answer: The Government now requires sewerage undertakers to plan ahead to manage drainage and wastewater. This is to ensure they meet future demand, support growth, and protect the environment. These plans will help sewerage undertakers to fully assess the capaci...
Answered 1 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordSewage: Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 26 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13692More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has discussed with local planning authorities the potential for allowing alternative on-site wastewater treatment solutions where these may reduce nutrient disch
Answer: The Government supports innovation in the water sector and works closely with regulators to ensure solutions comply with requirements. Nutrient pollution from wastewater is one of the key pressures affecting our rivers, lakes, and seas. The Government is ...
Answered 1 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordFly-tipping: AshfordDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 22 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12007More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help tackle fly-tipping in Ashford constituency.
Answer: The Waste Crime Action Plan sets a zero‑tolerance approach to waste crime and fly-tipping. It includes £45 million for the Environment Agency to double the enforcement, new police-style powers for officers, and budget for tougher sanctions for offenders, ...
Answered 25 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Transport: LandDepartment for TransportTabled 9 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 8360More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps she has taken to ensure that (a) thistles and (b) ragwort are removed from land owned by her Department between the village of Mersham and the Sevington inland border facility.
Answer: The most appropriate weeding regime is being kept under review. The Department has undertaken the removal of weeds on previous occasions. The field is allocated for a biodiversity scheme, and we need to consider the impact of any weeding regime on the ove...
Answered 15 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordSmall Businesses: Business RatesTreasuryTabled 21 May 2026AnsweredUIN 3977More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending business rates relief to small businesses that are not in the retail, hospitality or leisure sectors.
Answer: The Government has introduced new permanently lower multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. These new multipliers are worth nearly £1 billion per year and benefit over 750,000 properties. Since these new multipliers were...
Answered 2 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordSmall Businesses: KentDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 14 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1595More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support small and medium sized businesses in a) Ashford constituency and b) Kent.
Answer: The Government’s Plan for Small Businesses, published in July, sets out the measures that the Government is taking to support small businesses across the UK. This includes tackling late payments, boosting access to finance, and removing red tape. This wil...
Answered 19 May 2026
Original Parliament recordInternet: Age AssuranceDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 18 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 122037More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the rules governing data protection that require sites and services using age verification to delete submitted information once tha
Answer: The Government has not undertaken a specific assessment of the effectiveness of rules requiring the deletion of data submitted for age verification once it has been used.The UK’s data protection framework requires personal data to be minimised and not ret...
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordPensioners: Income TaxTreasuryTabled 9 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 119083More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has had made of the potential merits of extending tax relief for pension contributions for people aged 75 and over.
Answer: The Government wishes to encourage pension saving, to help ensure that people have an income, or funds on which they can draw, throughout retirement. This is why, for the majority of savers, pension contributions are tax-free. This makes pensions tax reli...
Answered 12 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordRespiratory DiseasesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 5 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118392More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of (a) respiratory disease and (b) the number of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions in (a) Ashford constituency,
Answer: Data is available for emergency finished admission episodes (FAEs) where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’. The following table shows the number of FAEs where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’ for Ashford an...
Answered 16 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAllergies: DrugsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116379More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that patients with known medical intolerances are able to be dispensed medication that is appropriate for their allergy.
Answer: Pharmacists are highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals. As part of dispensing medicines, pharmacists have a professional responsibility to inform patients about the medicines they are taking, and this may include mentioning any ingredients in...
Answered 4 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordPeople Smuggling: International CooperationForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 25 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 908072More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking with international partners to help tackle organised immigration crime.
Answer: Immigration crime is an international problem, and it can only be solved through international cooperation.That is why we have worked to develop agreements with France, Germany and Italy and others to break the business model of the criminal gangs, and wh...
Answered 3 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Services: StandardsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110597More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to consider the development of national standards for adult social care in England.
Answer: National standards of care will be an integral part of the national care service we are building, so people can rely on consistent, high‑quality care wherever they live.We are already progressing towards this through our three objectives for adult social ...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Services: StandardsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110596More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of social care standards across England; and what steps he is taking to support greater consistency of care provision.
Answer: National standards of care will be an integral part of the national care service we are building, so people can rely on consistent, high‑quality care wherever they live.We are already progressing towards this through our three objectives for adult social ...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordRoad Signs and MarkingsDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110222More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of road signs used by local authorities to help prevent road causalities among (a) hedgehogs and (b) other small mammals.
Answer: The Department has made no such assessment. Local authorities are responsible for the installation of the small wild animal road signs.
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordIndividual Savings Accounts: First Time BuyersTreasuryTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109384More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing the Lifetime ISA property price limit above the current £450,000 threshold for first-time buyers.
Answer: Data from the latest UK House Price Index shows that while the average price paid by first-time buyers has increased, it is still below the Lifetime ISA (Individual Savings Accounts) property price cap in all regions of the UK except for London, where the...
Answered 2 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordNHS: ContractsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 22 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107880More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with private contractors working in the NHS on trade union recognition for employees.
Answer: There have been no specific discussions on this matter. The terms and conditions in the standard National Health Service contract, used to contract with private contractors in England, recognises the need to engage with trade unions where they are present...
Answered 28 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordNHS: ContractsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 22 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107879More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with private contractors working in the NHS on paying staff the same rates as equivalent NHS staff.
Answer: There have been no specific discussions on this with private contractors working in the National Health Service.Independent organisations commissioned by the NHS in England, such as general practices or social enterprises, are free to develop and adapt th...
Answered 28 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordWater Supply: South East WaterDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107573More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with South East Water on the continued imposition of a hosepipe ban for its customers.
Answer: The Environment Agency has been in contact with South East Water throughout the drought to ensure the company has followed its drought plan. The decision for removal of the hosepipe ban, is for South East Water as outlined in the sections 76 and 76A-C of ...
Answered 27 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordParking: KentDepartment for TransportTabled 25 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 94552More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2025 to Question 81640 on Parking: Disability, whether her Department has had recent discussions with Kent County Council on its use of powers under Part IV of the Road Traf
Answer: Kent County Council, as the traffic authority for Kent, are wholly responsible for exercising their powers under Part IV of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. Whilst the Department does not typically intervene in local authority decision making on mark...
Answered 1 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordInland Border Facilities: AshfordDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 25 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 94551More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of checks on goods coming into the UK at Sevington on the protection of a) public health and b) animal health.
Answer: Border checks undertaken by competent authorities at the Sevington SPS Border Control Post are an important element of the system designed to manage biosecurity risks. The Sevington facility is enabling the implementation of SPS controls at the border on ...
Answered 1 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordAmbulance Services: KentDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89222More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve ambulance waiting times in (a) Ashford constituency and (b) Kent.
Answer: The Government recognises that in recent years ambulance response times have not met the high standards patients should expect.We are determined to turn things around. Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26, backed by almost £450 million of capita...
Answered 13 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordNational Quality BoardDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 87562More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to announce the new membership of the National Quality Board.
Answer: In our 10-Year Health Plan we committed to reintroducing a new, rigorous focus on high-quality care for all, and that as part of this we will revitalise the National Quality Board. The next meeting of the National Quality Board is in December, and we cont...
Answered 11 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordTake-away Food: Delivery ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84109More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the application of food safety regulations to (a) the vehicles and (b) the bags used by delivery drivers.
Answer: Food safety regulations in the United Kingdom apply to all stages of the food supply chain, including the transport and delivery of food by vehicles and in bags. These requirements are set out in the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013, whi...
Answered 27 Oct 2025
Original Parliament record
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