Steve Darling MP: written questions
356 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Government Departments: Press ConferencesCabinet OfficeTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55336More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a signer being present at Government news conferences.
Answer: This Government is strongly committed to making our communications accessible and inclusive, and to reducing the barriers Deaf people face in their everyday lives. Since we have come into power, we have endeavoured to ensure as many of the Prime Minister'...
Answered 10 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordGirls: AutismDepartment for EducationTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55238More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides to schools on supporting (a) autistic girls (b) girls masking symptoms of autism in educational settings.
Answer: The department wants all children and young people to be able to receive the right support to succeed in their education and we recognise that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) often require access to additio...
Answered 25 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordGirls: AutismDepartment for EducationTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55237More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to develop teacher training to recognise (a) autism presentation and (b) masking behaviours in girls.
Answer: The department wants all children and young people to be able to receive the right support to succeed in their education and we recognise that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) often require access to additio...
Answered 25 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordManufacturing Industries: Tax AllowancesTreasuryTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55028More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government plans to expand (a) financial support and (b) tax relief for small and medium-sized manufacturing firms.
Answer: Small businesses are vital to high streets, local communities, and economic growth. At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government recognised this by:More than doubling the Employment Allowance to £10,500;Maintaining the Small Profits Rate and marginal relief at t...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordManufacturing Industries: Small BusinessesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55027More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps the Government is taking to improve access to finance for small manufacturers.
Answer: Our October 2024 call for evidence on access to finance for small advanced manufacturing firms sought views and evidence on the challenges faced in this area. Since that time, the Government has been considering how best to support more advanced manufactu...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordManufacturing Industries: Small BusinessesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55026More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support small manufacturing businesses.
Answer: This Government will continue to support the advanced manufacturing sector, including SMEs, through our forthcoming Industrial Strategy, where advanced manufacturing has been selected as one of eight growth-driving sectors.Support is available through our...
Answered 6 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordManufacturing Industries: Small BusinessesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55025More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of developing a dedicated support strategy for smaller manufacturers.
Answer: This Government will continue to support the advanced manufacturing sector, including SMEs, through our forthcoming Industrial Strategy, where advanced manufacturing has been selected as one of eight growth-driving sectors.Support is available through our...
Answered 6 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordManufacturing Industries: Small BusinessesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55024More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises in the UK.
Answer: This Government will continue to support the advanced manufacturing sector, including SMEs, through our forthcoming Industrial Strategy, where advanced manufacturing has been selected as one of eight growth-driving sectors.Support is available through our...
Answered 6 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordEmployment: DiscriminationWomen and EqualitiesTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55005More
Question: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps her Department is taking to tackle age discrimination in the workplace.
Answer: Equality and opportunity for all are at the heart of the Government’s programme of national renewal and the UK has a strong history of protecting against direct and indirect discrimination. The Equality Act 2010 has protections that enable people to chall...
Answered 10 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: DiscriminationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55004More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to help tackle ageism in healthcare services.
Answer: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme on 5 June 2025 to Question 54136.
Answered 6 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordTeachers: PayDepartment for EducationTabled 21 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54065More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to take steps to close the pay gap between (a) school teachers and (b) college teachers to achieve equity within the higher education sector.
Answer: Further education (FE) colleges, rather than government, are responsible for setting and negotiating pay within colleges. Colleges are not bound by the national pay and conditions framework for school teachers but are free to implement their own pay arran...
Answered 5 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordZoos: Nature ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 20 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53694More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reduce (a) delays and (b) administrative burdens on zoos undertaking international animal transfers for conservation purposes.
Answer: Defra continues to work closely with the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) to address immediate challenges to the cross-border movement of endangered species, including the availability of E...
Answered 3 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordHomelessness: Young PeopleMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 19 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53271More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions she has had with youth homelessness organisations on the inclusion of a youth chapter in the forthcoming cross-governmental homelessness strategy.
Answer: Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected, including young people. We must address this and deliver long term solutions. The Deputy Prime Minister is leading cross-government work to deliver the long-term s...
Answered 22 May 2025
Original Parliament recordHoliday Accommodation: RegistrationDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 15 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52730More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 42101 on Holiday Accommodation: Licensing, what her planned timetable is for her Department’s publication of the short-term rental registration
Answer: The government has commenced the second phase of digital development for the short-term lets registration scheme legislated for in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023. During this phase, DCMS will test the user interface with a small number of user...
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence PaymentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 13 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52015More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 9 May 2025 to Question 47378 on Personal Independence Payment, how many working-age people are in receipt of the PIP daily living component at (a) regional, (b) constituency an
Answer: Table 1 in the attached excel file contains data, at the regional level, of claimants in receipt of the Enhanced or Standard Daily Living award for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and the proportion of those claims which were awarded less than four po...
Answered 28 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRefugees: UkraineHome OfficeTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50253More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications to the Ukrainian Permission Extension scheme have been (a) made, (b) processed, (c) granted, (d) withdrawn and (e) rejected for which the latest data is available.
Answer: The Ukraine Permission extension scheme is open for those granted under the previous Ukraine Schemes to apply up to 28 days before their current permission expires. Applications received – 53,870Applications processed – 45,576Applications approved – 44,10...
Answered 15 May 2025
Original Parliament recordDomestic AbuseHome OfficeTabled 1 May 2025AnsweredUIN 49804More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help small unitary authorities to access funding for domestic abuse perpetrator programmes.
Answer: For the current financial year (2025/26), the Home Office has awarded over £19 million to continue funding 27 Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) through the Domestic Abuse and Stalking Perpetrator Intervention Fund. This fund enables PCCs to commission...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordHospitality Industry: Government AssistanceDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 1 May 2025AnsweredUIN 49803More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support independent hospitality businesses.
Answer: Hospitality businesses are at the heart of our communities and play a vital role in supporting economic growth and social cohension across the UK.We recently launched a licensing taskforce to reduce red tape and barriers that too often hold businesses bac...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPatients: InformationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49505More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department take steps with the (a) Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry and (b) Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to further digitise paper-based patient info
Answer: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has worked with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry through the UK Electronic Patient Information Task Force on the potential digitisation of the paper-based patient information le...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: SoftwareDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49504More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) review and (b) improve NHS App accessibility for (i) people with visual impairment and (ii) other people.
Answer: We are working to improve access to digital services, outcomes, and experiences for the widest range of people, based on their preferences. Patients unable to use digital channels can continue to access services via telephone and through traditional face ...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPatients: SafetyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49503More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to implement the recommendations outlined in the Patient Safety Commissioner's report entitled The Safety Gap, published in March 2025.
Answer: We welcome the Patient Safety Commissioner’s (PSC) report, The Safety Gap – Safety and Accessibility of Medicines and Medical Devices for people with sensory impairment, highlighting the experiences of people with sensory impairment or loss when accessing...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: DisabilityDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49120More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the number of disabled people in specialist education colleges who could be affected by the proposal to change the eligibility criteria for the (a) Limited Capability for
Answer: The Department has not yet made such an assessment and does not hold the requested information. We will consider the impacts of our changes for groups which may be affected as part of our wider consideration of responses to the consultation as we develop ...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: DisabilityDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49119More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published on 18 March 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to
Answer: The Department has not yet made such an assessment and does not hold the requested information. We will consider the impacts of our changes for groups which may be affected as part of our wider consideration of responses to the consultation as we develop ...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordBeaches: AccessDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49118More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of implementing a national beach accessibility framework on (a) public health and (b) the economy; and if he will consider providi
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing and is working to ensure this is safe and appropriate. This is why we have set out our ambitious manifesto commitments to create nine new nation...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordEducation and Employment: Care LeaversDepartment for EducationTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48603More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help support care leavers to develop (a) skills, (b) confidence and (c) opportunities to (i) find and (ii) maintain employment.
Answer: Care leavers up to age 25 are entitled to a personal advisor who works with them to develop a pathway plan. This includes advice and guidance to support career aspirations and further education, training or employment.As part of the Children’s Wellbeing a...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament record
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