Steve Darling MP: written questions
356 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Review of Patient Safety across the Health and Care LandscapeDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45999More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Review of patient safety across the health and care landscape will be published.
Answer: The review of patient safety across the health and care landscape, by Dr Penny Dash, is planned to be published shortly.
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCats: Animal BreedingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45998More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Animal Welfare Committee’s December 2024 recommendation on banning the importation of any
Answer: The Government welcomes the Animal Welfare Committee’s Opinion on the welfare implications of current and emergent feline breeding practices. We are carefully considering the Committee’s recommendations.
Answered 25 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordState Retirement Pensions: UnderpaymentsTreasuryTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45176More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 43135, what historic information she holds on taxable state pension payments to people who are now deceased; and whether her Department would supply such data on re
Answer: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) share information via an established legislative gateway for the administration of the State Pension. When HMRC receive updates on State Pension payments from DWP, they store it ...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordTeachers: RedundancyDepartment for EducationTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45175More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many teachers have been served with redundancy by (a) local authority area, (b) multi academy trust and (c) local authority in the last three months.
Answer: Supporting our expert teachers is critical to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost the life chances for every child, as the within-school factor that makes the biggest difference to a young person’s educational outcomes...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNeighbourhood BoardsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45174More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to grant additional powers to Plan for Neighbourhoods Boards beyond those of Town Deal Boards.
Answer: The Government set out a comprehensive, non-exhaustive list of the existing powers available to boards and local authorities in England in the published ‘policy toolkit’. The toolkit gives communities the tools and information they need to make informed d...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPathways to Work: Impact AssessmentsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44646More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will produce an impact assessment of the proposals outlined in the Pathways to Work Green Paper, published in March 2025.
Answer: Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, and some information was published alongside the Spring Statement. These publications can be found in ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get ...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence PaymentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44645More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of consulting on the introduction of changes to the eligibility requirement for the daily living part of the Personal Independence Payment
Answer: Since the pandemic, the number of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) awards has more than doubled – up from 13,000 a month, to 34,000 a month. Action is needed now to target support better, so that we can protect this important safety net for future gene...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordWork Capability Assessment: Chronic IllnessesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44644More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department's Pathways to Work Green Paper, published on 18 March 2025, what definition her Department plans to use to identify people with severe lifelong health conditions who wil
Answer: We will ensure that those with the most severe, life-long health conditions, who will never be able to work, will see their incomes protected, and that this group will face no future reassessment. We will set out further information on this in due course.
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCommunications and Training Working GroupMinistry of DefenceTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44643More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's response to the Quinquennial Review of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme 2023 published on 21 March 2024, what progress he has made on establishing the Communications and Tra
Answer: The Government response to the Quinquennial Review (QQR) of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme 2022-23 was published on 21 March 2024 under the previous administration. The Communication and Training Working Group was not recommended in the QQR, but was...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNeighbourhood BoardsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44642More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Town Deal Board model will be used as a foundation for the development of Plan for Neighbourhoods Board;, and what changes to (a) structure and (b) governance would b
Answer: Neighbourhood Boards should bring together residents, local businesses, grassroots campaigners, workplace representatives, faith, and community leaders and those with a deep connection to their area to work with the local authority to develop their Regene...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Plans: Public ConsultationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44641More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department issues on whether community engagement should be carried out through distinct channels from business engagement as part of local development planning
Answer: Planning Practice Guidance on plan-making, which can be found on gov.uk here, highlights the importance of local communities and interested parties being able to track the progress of local development plans through Local Development Schemes. These must b...
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordRegional Planning and DevelopmentMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44640More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department provides guidance on the (a) core principles and (b) culture expected of local development boards.
Answer: I would kindly ask the hon. Member to write to me with more details on ‘local development boards’, so my officials can look into this matter.
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordRegional Planning and DevelopmentMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 7 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44639More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department has issued on whether board members of local development boards should have (a) full access to and (b) summaries of (i) tenders and (ii) business pla
Answer: I would kindly ask the hon. Member to write to me with more details on ‘local development boards’, so my officials can look into this matter.
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMembers: CorrespondenceMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 3 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44062More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when she plans to reply to correspondence of 17 January 2025 from the hon. Member for Torbay on local government reorganisation; and if she will meet with the hon. Member for Tor
Answer: I will respond to the letter imminently.
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMusicians: EU CountriesDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 2 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43783More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support British musicians touring in the EU.
Answer: We are working closely with the music industry to tackle the challenges facing UK musicians and their support staff when touring in the EU. We remain in open and constructive dialogue with the EU, with a view to improve arrangements across the European co...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security BenefitsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43208More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of households no longer eligible for both PIP and other passported benefits.
Answer: No estimate has yet been made.Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, and some information was published alongside the Spring Statement. These publications can be found in ‘Pathways to Work: Reformin...
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordState Retirement Pensions: UnderpaymentsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43136More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many letters she has issued to people who registered details of deceased family members on underpaid state pensions in 2025; whether her Department holds other records to assist with validating clai
Answer: The Next of Kin / representatives of a deceased State Pension customer had the opportunity to contact DWP if they thought the customer may be in scope for the State Pension Underpayments exercise. In reviewing these enquiries, the Department has identifie...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordState Retirement Pensions: UnderpaymentsTreasuryTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43135More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if HMRC will provide (a) National Insurance records, (b) historic income tax records showing taxable payments of state pensions and (c) any other related records of deceased people to bereaved family members for cla
Answer: His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) operates a strict duty of confidentiality to protect customers’ data. Therefore they can only supply information regarding the deceased to family members in certain circumstances permitted in law, for example to en...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: Private SectorDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42367More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that the private sector is used to help reduce NHS waiting lists for the (a) most urgent procedures and (b) patients with the greatest clinical need
Answer: We have committed to tackling waiting lists and getting back to the National Health Service constitutional standard, that 92% of patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment, by March 2029. We will use every lever to do this, an...
Answered 4 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDoctors: RefugeesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41979More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of offering (a) guidance or (b) funding support for charities who are assisting refugees with medical qualifications into the NHS.
Answer: The Department has made no assessment of the potential merits of offering guidance or funding support for charities who are assisting refugees with medical qualifications into the National Health Service.Many regulators, royal colleges, and other organisa...
Answered 4 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence Payment: Carer's AllowanceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41966More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed changes to the Personal Independence Payment qualifying criteria and the consequential effect on Carer's Allowance eligibility
Answer: We have committed to introduce a new requirement that, in addition to the existing eligibility criteria, claimants must score a minimum of four points in at least one daily living activity to be eligible for the daily living component of Personal Independ...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence Payment: Carer's AllowanceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41965More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing carers to keep Carer’s Allowance if they are providing over 35 hours of care to someone who has eligible health needs bu
Answer: We have committed to introduce a new requirement that, in addition to the existing eligibility criteria, claimants must score a minimum of four points in at least one daily living activity to be eligible for the daily living component of Personal Independ...
Answered 3 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence Payment: CarersDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 27 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 41963More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to the Personal Independence Payment qualifying criteria on unpaid family carers.
Answer: We have committed to introduce a new requirement that, in addition to the existing eligibility criteria, claimants must score a minimum of four points in at least one daily living activity to be eligible for the daily living component of Personal Independ...
Answered 3 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security benefits: ReformDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 24 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40904More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on what basis her Department decided which aspects of the proposed reforms to the benefits system would be subject to consultation.
Answer: This consultation sets out plans and proposals to reform health and disability benefits and employment support. We are committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people and people with health conditions at the heart of everything we do. We urge...
Answered 27 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordProstate Cancer: Research and ScreeningDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 24 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 40877More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of recommendation on (a) screening and (b) research on prostate cancer in Council of the EU recommendation on
Answer: The United Kingdom is not bound by the Council of the European Union's recommendations. The UK National Screening Committee is currently looking at the evidence for prostate cancer screening in accordance with its published processes. This work will evalu...
Answered 2 Apr 2025
Original Parliament record
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