Steve Darling MP: written questions 2026
167 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Apprentices: FinanceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 23 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 129534More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of age restrictions on Level 7 apprenticeships on (i.) the future skills needs of employers; (ii.) on learners both currently and in the future who pl
Answer: I refer the hon. Member for Torbay to the answer of 16 March 2026 to Question 115133.
Answered 28 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordNHS Trusts: RedundancyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 22 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 129281More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which NHS Trusts are currently seeking redundancies from clinical staff.
Answer: The Department does not hold a central list of real-time information on which National Health Service trusts are taking forward redundancies. Decisions about workforce change, including any redundancy proposals, are matters for individual NHS employers, w...
Answered 29 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordMayorsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 20 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 128355More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will provide guidance for combined county authorities on the next steps to transition to mayoral authorities.
Answer: The Government remains firmly committed to mayoral devolution and is forging ahead with it, including through the Devolution Priority Programme, but we have been clear that this model works best when built on firm foundations. That is why we have issued a...
Answered 23 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordBeerDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 20 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 128333More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what progress he has made on the review into market access for small breweries announced in the Autumn Budget 2024.
Answer: The Government recognises that local breweries and pubs make an important contribution to the UK's economy and communities, supporting jobs, innovation and diversity within the pub sector.I am currently considering the findings of this review alongside he...
Answered 23 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordWhite Fish: Fishing CatchesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 15 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127614More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to conduct a socio-economic impact assessment of the impact of the three-fish recreational pollack bag limit on the recreational charter boat sector.
Answer: The latest scientific advice from ICES indicates pollack remains vulnerable and recreational fishing accounts for a significant share of total removals. It is therefore important, and fair, that all fishers play their part in transitioning towards a susta...
Answered 22 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordWhite Fish: Fishing CatchesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 15 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127613More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to provide financial compensation to the recreational charter boat sector following the implementation of the three-fish recreational pollack bag limit.
Answer: The latest scientific advice from ICES indicates pollack remains vulnerable and recreational fishing accounts for a significant share of total removals. It is therefore important, and fair, that all fishers play their part in transitioning towards a susta...
Answered 22 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordWhite Fish: FisheriesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 15 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127612More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to (a) continue and (b) expand data collection in the pollack fishery in the (i) commercial and (ii) recreational sectors.
Answer: The latest scientific advice from ICES indicates pollack remains vulnerable and recreational fishing accounts for a significant share of total removals. It is therefore important, and fair, that all fishers play their part in transitioning towards a susta...
Answered 22 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordBritish Council: FinanceForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 14 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127226More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support the British Council in addressing identified financial pressures; and what further assistance is under consideration to ensure
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to (a) the answer I provided on 28 October 2025 in response to question 906060, (b) the oral evidence provided to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 9 December 2025 by the Permanent Under-Secretary to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Dev...
Answered 17 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordBritish Council: FinanceForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 14 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127225More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the principal financial pressures facing the British Council; and what the main drivers of those pressures are.
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to (a) the answer I provided on 28 October 2025 in response to question 906060, (b) the oral evidence provided to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 9 December 2025 by the Permanent Under-Secretary to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Dev...
Answered 17 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordParking Offences: Bournemouth, Christchurch and PooleDepartment for TransportTabled 14 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127224More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department expects to publish the findings of the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Higher Penalty Charge Notice trial; and whether she will make a statement on the timetable for reporting its outcom
Answer: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) has published a report on its month‑long trial of higher PCNs. The Department is reviewing the findings of this trial which will be carefully considered before any decisions are taken.
Answered 24 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordBritish Council: FinanceForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 14 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127223More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how the Government is assessing the financial sustainability of the British Council over the next 3 years; and what metrics or criteria are being used in that assessment.
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to (a) the answer I provided on 28 October 2025 in response to question 906060, (b) the oral evidence provided to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 9 December 2025 by the Permanent Under-Secretary to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Dev...
Answered 17 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordPrisons: Alcoholic Drinks and DrugsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 125317More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help support prisoners with long term dependency on drugs or alcohol with the management of withdrawal of drugs and alcohol.
Answer: NHS England commissions prison health care services into every prison in England to the equivalence of the community. Access to drug or alcohol withdrawal support is available in all prisons at any stage of a person’s sentence, beginning at the point of e...
Answered 21 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordIntegrated Care Systems: TorbayDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 122867More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he will respond to the referral from Torbay Council of the likely decision by Torbay Hospital to end the Integrated Care Organisation joint health and social care arrangements.
Answer: The Department has received the request from Torbay Council, and my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, will respond in due course.
Answered 30 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAccess to Work ProgrammeDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 18 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121940More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2025 to Question 95517, whether the Department has conducted a review or internal audit the consistency of decision-making applied within Access to Work since Januar
Answer: We hold regular consistency meetings with all Service Assurance Managers, during which cases are reviewed collectively and discuss any instances where inconsistencies may arise. This ensures that all managers apply processes and guidance correctly and uni...
Answered 27 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAccess to Work ProgrammeDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 18 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121872More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2025 to Question 95517 on Access to Work Programme, what data his Department has used to determine that there should be a focus on ensuring consistency in decision-m
Answer: The Department routinely focuses on strengthening case manager learning, ensuring colleagues have the skills and expertise required to apply Access to Work policy and guidance fairly and consistently. This approach has been driven by our commitment to con...
Answered 27 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordMathematics: EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 11 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120091More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the report entitled Evaluation of pupil attainment and progression in Maths Schools, published in October 2025 by The Observatory for Mathema
Answer: When forming maths policy, the department considers a broad range of evidence. The department is aware of this report and will consider it alongside evidence from a range of other stakeholders, as well as internal analysis, when designing future policy.Th...
Answered 30 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAnimal Experiments: InspectionsHome OfficeTabled 10 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 119542More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with regard to the Animals in Science Regulation Unit Annual Report 2024, published in December 2025, how many unannounced audits were there in 2024; and whether she plans to increase the number of un
Answer: There were 10 unannounced audits in 2024, as reported in the published Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) 2024 Annual Report.ASRU will increase the number of unannounced audits as part of its programme of regulatory strengthening. The inspectorate ...
Answered 19 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAnimal Experiments: LicensingHome OfficeTabled 10 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 119541More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, between 1 January 2026 and 28 February 2026, how many licences have been granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 for projects that use a) cats b) dogs c) horses and d) non-human pri
Answer: Between 1 January 2026 and 28 February 2026, one project licence was granted which authorised the use of dogs, and one was granted that authorised the use of non-human primates under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. No project licences were g...
Answered 19 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordTransport: DisabilityDepartment for TransportTabled 3 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117477More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans her Department has to help ensure that emerging transport technologies, including electric and autonomous vehicles, are accessible and affordable for disabled people.
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of accessibility for emerging technologies and works closely with the Disabled Person’s Transport Advisory Committee and experts from leading accessibility organisations, such as the Motability Foundation, on polic...
Answered 6 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordEmployment: DisabilityDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 3 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117476More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the accessibility of transport on barriers to employment experienced by disabled people.
Answer: The Department regularly conducts research and analysis that looks at the barriers faced by disabled people such as the ‘Work aspirations and support needs of health and disability customers’ and this can be found on GOV.UK. One way the Department support...
Answered 17 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordWater: StandardsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 116850More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential benefits of amending the Bathing Water regulations to include a wider range of recreational users.
Answer: In March 2025 the Government published its response to a consultation on amending the Bathing Water 2013 Regulations. In this, the Government noted the support for expanding the definition of a bather to include other recreational water users. Work has be...
Answered 5 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordWater BillDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 116849More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her department plans to establish the public health task force recommended by the Independent Water Commission prior to the introduction of the Water Reform Bill.
Answer: Through an upcoming Water Bill, we intend to progress an ambitious, coherent reset of the legislative framework. As we take this forward, we will work in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care to ensure public health is considered broad...
Answered 5 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordWater: SafetyDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 116848More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of safeguards included in the Transition Plan for recreational water users, including those using waters outside designated bath
Answer: The Water Reform Transition Plan charts a clear path to the water system of the future, as set out in the recent water white paper. The transition plan will be accompanied by a new Strategic Policy Statement for Ofwat and ministerial direction for EA. The...
Answered 5 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordTeachers: Disciplinary ProceedingsDepartment for EducationTabled 2 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 116831More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what mechanisms are in place to monitor the welfare of teachers while they are suspended.
Answer: By law, all maintained schools are required to have a capabilities policy, which sets out disciplinary and grievance procedures in the workplace. As employers, all schools and trusts must follow all aspects of employment law and equalities legislation in ...
Answered 18 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordTeachers: Disciplinary ProceedingsDepartment for EducationTabled 2 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 116830More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what oversight exists to ensure schools comply with national procedures when suspending teachers.
Answer: By law, all maintained schools are required to have a capabilities policy, which sets out disciplinary and grievance procedures in the workplace. As employers, all schools and trusts must follow all aspects of employment law and equalities legislation in ...
Answered 18 Mar 2026
Original Parliament record
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