Steve Darling MP: written questions
356 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Carlauren Group: InsolvencyMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 6 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13036More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is taking steps to recover costs incurred by local authorities in maintaining the safety, security and environmental integrity of the property portfolio or
Answer: Local authorities have flexibility over the money they receive, enabling them to work with their residents to decide how best to spend it on local priorities. Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are responsible for commissioning a diverse range of ...
Answered 21 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordVoluntary WorkDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 6 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 13035More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department plans to take support community-based volunteering opportunities.
Answer: Volunteering is critical to a vibrant and resilient civil society; it benefits volunteers and the organisations involving them and has transformational impacts on local communities. Government undertakes a range of policy work to enable as many people to ...
Answered 14 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: Care LeaversDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12806More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she an estimate of the cost of providing all care leavers in England with the over 25 rate of Universal Credit.
Answer: No such estimate has been made.
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordYouth Guarantee: Care LeaversDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12800More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will include bespoke support for unemployed care leavers in the Youth Guarantee.
Answer: We recognise the challenges care leavers face as they move out of the care system and are working closely with Department for Education to ensure care leavers can access the right skills, opportunities, and wider support, to move towards sustained employm...
Answered 14 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordCare Leavers: FinanceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12799More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of an enhanced financial support package for care leavers aged 18 to 25.
Answer: We understand the challenges care leavers face and that is why the department continues to provide additional dedicated support through a series of safeguards and easements aimed at simplifying their interaction with the benefit system. This includes supp...
Answered 15 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordLong-term Plan for TownsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 5 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12743More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when her Department plans to publish the prospectus on the Long-Term Plan for Towns.
Answer: The Chancellor confirmed at the Budget on 30 October that the Long-Term Plan for Towns will be retained and reformed as part of a new regeneration programme.A revised prospectus for the programme will be published in due course, confirming the associated ...
Answered 13 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordParental LeaveDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12607More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will review support for parents who will not be entitled to Neonatal Care Leave and Pay because they (a) are self-employed and (b) have another ineligible employment status.
Answer: The Government recognises the challenges and worry facing parents whose babies are admitted to neonatal care; we will set out more information on our plans in this area shortly.The Government is committed to reviewing the parental leave system so that it ...
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordRare Diseases: Medical TreatmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Nov 2024AnsweredUIN 12498More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions his Department has had with NICE on reducing the time taken for patients to access treatment for very rare diseases in cases when there is uncertainty on the (a) incidence a
Answer: The Department has regular discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) about a range of issues, including in relation to timelines for appraisals. The NICE aims to issue draft guidance on new medicines, including for rare...
Answered 11 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: DisqualificationDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 31 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 12240More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of benefits sanctions on children in the households of those sanctioned.
Answer: Our manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty is a key priority for this Government. The Child Poverty Taskforce has already started urgent work to publish the Child Poverty Strategy in Spring 2025 and will continue to explore all available levers to d...
Answered 7 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordFisheries: Wind PowerDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 30 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 12012More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of compensating commercial fishermen who are displaced from fishing grounds by offshore wind development projects.
Answer: Impacts of proposed offshore wind developments on affected stakeholders, including fishers, is considered during the development consent process. The Government encourages offshore wind developers and the fishing industry to discuss potential impacts at a...
Answered 7 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordSchools: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 30 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 12010More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding per (a) primary and (b) secondary school student is provided In (i) Cornwall, (ii) Plymouth, (iii) Torbay, (iv) Devon and (v) in the five local authorities with the highest level of education a
Answer: Mainstream schools receive the majority of their core school funding through the schools block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG). DSG has funding data for Cornwall, Plymouth, Torbay and Devon. It does not include funding in respect of the ‘local author...
Answered 7 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordHomelessness: Care LeaversMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 28 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11453More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that care leavers below the age of 26 are given priority need status for homelessness support.
Answer: The Government recognises that homelessness levels are far too high and this can have a devastating impact on those affected, including young people and care leavers. We will look at these issues carefully and will consider youth and care leaver homelessn...
Answered 5 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: Care LeaversDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 28 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11452More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the over-25 rate of universal credit to care leavers.
Answer: The Government supports care leavers by offering a series of safeguards and easements aimed at simplifying and improving their interaction with the benefit system. This includes single care leavers qualifying for the more generous one-bedroom Local Housin...
Answered 1 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordPension WiseDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 28 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11390More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the impact of the stronger nudge to pensions guidance on Pension Wise guidance usage by pension savers.
Answer: The Stronger Nudge to pension guidance regulations were introduced in June 2022. In the year following this (June 2022 to May 2023) around 124,000 Pension Wise appointments were attended, and in the subsequent year (June 2023 to May 2024) around 119,000 a...
Answered 5 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordCharles Bonnet Syndrome: Diagnosis and Medical TreatmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 25 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11196More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to increase the number of healthcare professionals trained to (a) diagnose and (b) treat Charles Bonnet Syndrome.
Answer: Patients who experience Charles Bonnet symptoms who are already under hospital eye services can access support services via an Eye Care Liaison Officer within the hospital. Otherwise, a patient should contact their general practice (GP). The GP will make ...
Answered 6 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordCharles Bonnet Syndrome: Diagnosis and Medical TreatmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 25 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 11195More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to establish a formal pathway for the (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of Charles Bonnet Syndrome.
Answer: Patients who experience Charles Bonnet symptoms who are already under hospital eye services can access support services via an Eye Care Liaison Officer within the hospital. Otherwise, a patient should contact their general practice (GP). The GP will make ...
Answered 6 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordWritten question 900983TreasuryTabled 24 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 900983More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on reforms to business rates.
Answer: The government will create a fairer business rates system that protects the high-street, supports investment, and is fit for the 21st century. Autumn Budget 2024 announced the first steps including an intention to introduce permanently lower multipliers f...
Answered 31 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordState Retirement Pensions: AgeDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 23 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10919More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has undertaken financial modelling for a potential compensation scheme for issues raised in the report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman entitled Women’s State Pension age: o
Answer: As part of our work on the Ombudsman’s investigation and report, we have been considering the costs of setting up a compensation scheme. The Ombudsman used DWP’s broad estimates in their report published 21 March 2024, stating that “Compensating all women...
Answered 29 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordState Retirement Pensions: AgeDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 23 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10917More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many full-time civil servants are working on the response to the report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman entitled Women’s State Pension age: our findings on injustice and associated
Answer: Work is ongoing by civil servants across grades who work both full and part-time. The Ombudsman’s report is detailed and complex. It took around 6 years to complete and the issues it considers span a period of some 30 years. It is not possible to determin...
Answered 30 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordKinship CareDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 23 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10828More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to introduce (a) the right to paid employment leave and (b) legal safeguarding for kinship carers.
Answer: The Government greatly values kinship carers who care for children who cannot live with their parents. The Government has committed in the Plan to Make Work Pay to review the system of parental leave to ensure that it best supports all working families. W...
Answered 29 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordSpeech and Language Therapy: ChildrenDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9635More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of providing auditory verbal therapy to deaf young children on (a) their employment prospects and (b) other outcomes.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Washington and Gateshead South on 14 October 2024 to Question 5963.
Answered 24 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordHearing Impairment: ChildrenDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 16 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9634More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she is will hold discussions with Auditory Verbal UK on tackling barriers to opportunities for deaf children.
Answer: There are no current plans to meet. However, I note that my colleague the Minister for Early Education has met with and visited Auditory Verbal UK to understand the work they are doing to improve the lives of deaf children.
Answered 24 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordNHS: Long CovidDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 14 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9010More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of NHS employees who have (a) taken early retirement and (b) had their employment terminated as a result of long covid, by region.
Answer: No such estimate has been made by the Department.
Answered 18 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordPancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy: Supply ChainsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 14 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9003More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish a regional breakdown of the supply chain issues with Creon.
Answer: The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information is not collected on a local level.The Department has been working with suppliers to address current supp...
Answered 23 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordState Retirement Pensions: WomenDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 11 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 8689More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's report into women’s State Pension age changes, published on 21 March 2024, what recent discussions she has had with the Leader of the H
Answer: In the course of conducting the business of her Department, the Secretary of State has many discussions with Cabinet colleagues. As stated on 07 October (Women’s State Pension Age: Compensation - Hansard - UK Parliament.) I am the first Minister in eight ...
Answered 24 Oct 2024
Original Parliament record
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