Steve Darling MP: written questions 2026
167 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Electric Vehicles: Charging PointsDepartment for TransportTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112747More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of compelling landlords to allow electric vehicle meters to be connected to a leaseholder’s residential supply.
Answer: The Government is committed to ensuring an electric vehicle (EV) transition that works for all. In October 2025, we announced that we will consult on improving renters and leaseholders' ability to charge. This consultation will consider how to make domest...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordWorkplace PensionsTreasuryTabled 11 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112690More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what modelling (a) she and (b) the OBR has carried out on the distributional impact of measures on salary sacrifice for pensions in the Autumn Budget 2025.
Answer: A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to pensions salary sacrifice. Almost all – 95% - of those earning £30,000 or less who use salary sacrifice will be entirely unaffected by ...
Answered 26 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAccess to Work ProgrammeDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111914More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason Access to Work advisers no longer accept supporting evidence by email for new and renewal applications; what assessment he has made of the potential impact of that change on processing t
Answer: As has been the case for many years under successive administrations, DWP does not generally allow evidence for health and disability benefits to be submitted via email. This is because this evidence often contains sensitive personal data, which must be s...
Answered 31 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAccess to Work ProgrammeDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111913More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applicants for (a) new Access to Work awards and (b) the renewal of existing awards who undertook holistic workplace assessments received support in line with the recommendations of those asses
Answer: The Department does not hold data on how many applicants for (a) new Access to Work awards and (b) the renewal of existing awards who undertook holistic workplace assessments received support in line with the recommendations of those assessments in each o...
Answered 16 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPlastics: RecyclingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111912More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has he made of the adequacy of plastic recycling provision in supermarkets including where products are sold in packaging which needs to be recycled in-store.
Answer: Simpler Recycling came into force on 31 March 2025 requiring all workplaces in England with more than 10 full-time employees to separate their waste before collection, including any waste produced by employees, customers and visitors. This includes dry re...
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordFamily Courts: ChildrenMinistry of JusticeTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111911More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to reform the family court system to ensure children's best interests are prioritised.
Answer: The Children Act 1989 states that the welfare of the child is the court’s paramount consideration when making decisions in relation to a child's upbringing. This Government is committed to reform of the family court to improve the experience and outcomes ...
Answered 17 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordDental Services: Chronic Illnesses and VeteransDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111910More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to dentistry services for (a) veterans and (b) people suffering with long-term illnesses.
Answer: We are aware of the challenges faced by many in accessing a National Health Service dentist, including people suffering with long-term illnesses, and valued members of the Armed Forces community, such as our respected veterans who have spent their careers...
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordDental Services: Chronic Illnesses and VeteransDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111909More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has he made of the adequacy of dental care given to (a) veterans and (b) those suffering with long-term illnesses.
Answer: We are aware of the challenges faced by many in accessing a National Health Service dentist, including people suffering with long-term illnesses, and valued members of the Armed Forces community, such as our respected veterans who have spent their careers...
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordConditions of EmploymentDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110507More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he plans to hold the consultation on proposed changes to NDAs under the Employment Rights Bill; and what is the planned timeline for implementation.
Answer: The Employment Rights Act 2025 will address the misuse of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) by employers who want to silence workers about harassment and discrimination in the workplace.The Government will consult on the conditions under which NDAs can sti...
Answered 11 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordDemocracy and Disinformation: Social MediaForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 29 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109647More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the report by Resilience and Reconstruction entitled Disinformation, UK Democracy, and At
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 21 January to Question 105450. As concerns the algorithms of social media platforms, the Online Safety Act gives Ofcom the power to request information on their design, including as this relates to allegati...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordCitizenship and Media: EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 29 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109646More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies on media literacy and citizenship education of the findings of the report by Resilience and Reconstruction entitled Disinformation,
Answer: Improved media literacy builds resilience to misinformation and disinformation and fosters critical thinking. The government is improving media literacy through coordinated cross-government work, including funding innovative community-based interventions ...
Answered 4 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordWater: StandardsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109295More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to publish the outcome of its consultation on the Bathing Water Regulations.
Answer: Defra, jointly with the Welsh Government, ran a consultation on a package of reforms to the Bathing Water Regulations 2013 that was open between November – December 2024. In March 2025 the Government published its response to this consultation, setting ou...
Answered 3 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordNHS: Sexual OffencesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109294More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of sexual misconduct policies implemented by NHS integrated care boards for protecting NHS staff from sexual misconduct by other staff members.
Answer: Sexual misconduct of any kind has no place in the National Health Service. NHS England is actively working to ensure that the NHS is a safe environment for employees, patients, and visitors.NHS England published the Sexual Safety Charter in 2023, setting ...
Answered 3 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordCourts: StandardsMinistry of JusticeTabled 15 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106170More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take steps to (a) remove the cap on the number of days courts can sit, (b) help ensure prisoners are transported to court on time, (c) hold discussions with the Crown Prosecution Service on the removal
Answer: The Government inherited a justice system in crisis, with a record and rising open caseload of nearly 80,000 criminal cases waiting to be heard and too many victims waiting years for justice.In the Crown Court for this financial year (2025/26), we are fun...
Answered 23 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordSecond Homes: Council TaxMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 105803More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department takes account of exceptional circumstances in previous years when calculating Council Tax base growth, including reviews of single person discounts and the
Answer: At the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement 2026-27 to 2028-29 on 17 December 2025, we set out the funding available to councils through the longstanding Core Spending Power measure, which was calculated in line with the approach used at previo...
Answered 19 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAccess to Work ProgrammeDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101896More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, from January 2023 to December 2025, what information his Department holds on the number of instances where waiting times for Access to Work have resulted in claimants losing their job or having their wo
Answer: Access to Work is only available to people who are in work or about to start work, and the number of hours worked does not affect eligibility, so this type of data is not recorded.
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordYouth Services: TorbayDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101895More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure adequate funding for Time for Young People in Torbay; and if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of early support provision.
Answer: We recognise the importance of high-quality, community-based early support for children and young people’s mental health, including innovative local services such as Time for Young People in Torbay. These services play a key role in offering early, access...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament record
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