Sorcha Eastwood MP: written questions 2024
88 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Public Expenditure: Northern IrelandTreasuryTabled 19 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 21479More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Department of Health and Social Care's press release entitled Biggest investment into hospices in a generation, published on 19 December 2024, whether any Barnett consequentials will be made av
Answer: The Barnett formula applies to all increases or decreases to UK Government Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL). As this funding for adult and children’s hospices is being re-allocated from within existing Department of Health and Social Care budgets the...
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordConsumer Goods: SafetyDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 13 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20075More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support British-based businesses to appoint a responsible person under the General Product Safety Regulations to access to Northern Ireland and EU markets.
Answer: The Government is supporting small businesses to understand and comply with the new General Product Safety Regulation. We have published guidance on the new Regulation in Northern Ireland, which we will keep under review, and we are continuing to engage d...
Answered 23 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordPolitics and Government: Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 9 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18736More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he plans to have discussions with political parties on the future of Northern Ireland's political institutions.
Answer: I meet regularly with the Northern Ireland parties to discuss a range of issues, including the UK Government’s commitment to ensuring the long-term stability of Northern Ireland institutions.
Answered 17 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordNorthern Ireland Executive: Public AppointmentsNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 9 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18735More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reforming the process for appointing the (a) First Minister and (b) Deputy First Minister.
Answer: I meet regularly with the Northern Ireland parties to discuss a range of issues, including the UK Government’s commitment to ensuring the long-term stability of Northern Ireland institutions.
Answered 17 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordUK Internal Trade: Northern IrelandDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 6 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18435More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to monitor the application of the guidance entitled General product safety regulations: Northern Ireland: Guidance for businesses on Regulation 2023/988, published on 5 Dec
Answer: The Department will be monitoring the application of the new General Product Safety Regulation in Northern Ireland and will keep the guidance on the Regulation under review to ensure we are supporting businesses to trade freely across the UK.
Answered 12 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordUK Internal Trade: Northern IrelandDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 6 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18434More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he is taking steps to ensure that small businesses in Great Britain are aware of his Department's guidance entitled General product safety regulations: Northern Ireland: Guidance for businesses
Answer: My officials have been engaging regularly with businesses on the new General Product Safety Regulations in Northern Ireland. The guidance for businesses has been shared with the business community in Great Britain and Northern Ireland through existing cha...
Answered 16 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordFinancial Inclusion Committee: Public AppointmentsTreasuryTabled 6 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18433More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had on the potential merits of appointing a Northern Ireland representative to the Financial Inclusion Committee.
Answer: On 5 December, I convened a Financial Inclusion Committee which has been established to tackle the problems of financial exclusion. Through this committee, I will work with consumer groups and industry on the development of a Financial Inclusion Strategy....
Answered 16 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordFinancial Inclusion Committee: Public AppointmentsTreasuryTabled 6 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18432More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of appointing a representative from Northern Ireland to the Financial Inclusion Committee.
Answer: On 5 December, I convened a Financial Inclusion Committee which has been established to tackle the problems of financial exclusion. Through this committee, I will work with consumer groups and industry on the development of a Financial Inclusion Strategy....
Answered 16 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordUK Internal Trade: Northern IrelandDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 5 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18260More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will meet with online consumers in Northern Ireland experiencing difficulties buying goods from Great Britain.
Answer: The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is committed to implementing the Windsor Framework in good faith and are constructively working with all stakeholders, including consumer groups, to protect the UK Internal Market. HM Government continues to sup...
Answered 12 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordConsumer Goods: SafetyNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 5 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18259More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the impact of the General Product Safety Regulations on the ability of consumers in Northern Ireland to buy goods from Great Britain.
Answer: The updated General Product Safety Regulations largely formalises how businesses are already operating in the UK and the measures are therefore likely to have limited impact in practice. Where businesses need to make changes, we expect that they will be a...
Answered 11 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordConsumer Goods: SafetyNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 5 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 18258More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the potential impact of the General Product Safety Regulations 2023 on the ability of consumers in Northern Ireland to bu
Answer: The updated General Product Safety Regulations largely formalises how businesses are already operating in the UK and the measures are therefore likely to have limited impact in practice. Where businesses need to make changes, we expect that they will be a...
Answered 11 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordSmoking: Northern IrelandDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 25 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15880More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on supporting smokers in Northern Ireland to quit.
Answer: The landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill was introduced into Parliament on 5 November 2024 and will be the single biggest public health intervention since the Government banned smoking in indoor public spaces.This bill goes further than ever before. It will cr...
Answered 3 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordEthics and Integrity CommissionCabinet OfficeTabled 25 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15852More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his planned timetable is for establishing the Ethics and Integrity Commission.
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 31 July 2024, Official Report, PQ 1251.
Answered 3 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordVoting Rights: Young PeopleNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 22 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15687More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the introduction of votes at 16 in Northern Ireland.
Answer: The introduction of votes at 16 will be a major change to the franchise. I will of course work closely with my Ministerial counterparts across Government and other stakeholders on the development and implementation of this change.
Answered 29 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordVoting Rights: Young PeopleNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 22 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15683More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he plans to introduce votes at 16 before (a) elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly and (b) local elections take place.
Answer: This Government will legislate to lower the voting age to 16 during this Parliament. This change will strengthen our democracy and empower young people to participate in it.
Answered 29 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordOccupied Territories: Human RightsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 20 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15386More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has taken recent steps to meet the duties set out in the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion entitled Legal Consequences Arising From The P
Answer: The UK does not disagree with the central findings of the International Court of Justice's Advisory Opinion on the 'Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem'. We a...
Answered 4 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordIsrael: Arms TradeForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 20 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15385More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of suspending all arms sales to Israel.
Answer: On day one in office, the Foreign Secretary commissioned a thorough review into Israel's compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL), given the grave concerns about the conduct and consequences of the war in Gaza for civilians. The Strategic Expo...
Answered 4 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordVoting RightsNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 20 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 15367More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing residence-based voting rights in Northern Ireland.
Answer: The Government has no plans to revise the franchise for any elections based on residency. The right to vote at Parliamentary elections is consistent across the UK and it is important that all MPs are elected on a consistent franchise.In order to register ...
Answered 28 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordHearing AidsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 12 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13920More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his policies of AirPods Pro 2's Hearing Aid feature.
Answer: We are aware of the new features on the AirPods Pro 2. As part of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will consider the potential of technologies, including wearable technologies, to support the shift in healthcare from hospital to community, analogue to digital,...
Answered 18 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordUK Shared Prosperity Fund: Northern IrelandMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 31 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 12169More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to make changes to funding levels of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Northern Ireland.
Answer: The Autumn Budget announced that the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, for which the previous government made no plans beyond March 2025, will be extended for 2025-26 at a reduced level of £900 million.With this transitional arrangement, Northern Ireland will co...
Answered 8 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordRadioisotopes: Northern IrelandDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 12022More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking with his Northern Irish counterpart to ensure that radioisotopes are distributed to areas most in need.
Answer: The Department has been working hard with industry to help resolve the shortages of radioisotopes, which are affecting the United Kingdom and other countries around the world. The affected radioisotopes are mainly used for diagnosing cancers, including pr...
Answered 7 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordPublic Sector: Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 24 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11089More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what role he plans his Department will have in supporting the work of the Northern Ireland Transformation Board.
Answer: The establishment of a Public Service Transformation Board was a condition of the Government’s £3.3bn restoration package for the Northern Ireland Executive, which included £235m of funding specifically for the transformation of public services. The Board...
Answered 31 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordPublic Sector: Northern IrelandCabinet OfficeTabled 23 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10936More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will have discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on the potential impact of the proposed Hillsborough Law on public services in Northern Ireland.
Answer: As the Prime Minister announced recently, the Hillsborough Law is a priority for this Government. Discussions have already begun between officials in the Cabinet Office and those in the devolved governments. I will continue to ensure that Ministerial coll...
Answered 5 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordEmployment: Advisory ServicesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10219More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which organisations she consulted on the proposal of having job coaches visit mental health patients in hospital.
Answer: The Secretary of State has made no announcement regarding having job coaches visit mental health patients in hospital and therefore did not consult any organisations. She was referring to her experience visiting a severe mental illness Individual Placemen...
Answered 28 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordElectronic Cigarettes and TobaccoDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10217More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to introduce the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
Answer: In the King’s Speech on 17 July 2024, we committed to introducing the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in this parliamentary session. The bill will create the first smoke-free generation, gradually ending the sale of tobacco products as well as stopping vapes and o...
Answered 25 Oct 2024
Original Parliament record
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