Steve Witherden MP: written questions 2025
67 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Immigration: Children and Young PeopleHome OfficeTabled 18 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 101586More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of lengthening the qualifying period for settlement from five years to ten years for young adults and children under Appendix Private Life to the I
Answer: The earned settlement model, proposed in A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026. The consultation directly seeks views on retaining the current arrangement, whereby children and young ...
Answered 7 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: DisabilityDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 15 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99938More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how he plans to reduce disability benefits by up to £580 million a year.
Answer: We are reducing the frequency of Personal Independence award reviews to deliver more WCA re-assessments after they were stopped during Covid-19. We will also significantly increase the share of face-to-face assessments, enabling assessors to better unders...
Answered 5 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordProof of Identity: Digital TechnologyCabinet OfficeTabled 4 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97384More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that mandatory digital ID would not put the population’s personal data at risk of data breaches by hackers and foreign adversaries.
Answer: Security is a core principle of the new national digital credential that government is building, and will follow National Cyber Security Centre advice and international best practice. Data will be federated, not centralised, minimising risks by keeping in...
Answered 17 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordProof of Identity: Digital TechnologyDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 4 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97383More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he has taken to make sure that digital ID can not be made a requirement for accessing a wide range of public and private services.
Answer: Digital ID will only be mandatory for a person who is going through a right to work check. There will be no other mandatory requirement to have the ID.The Government is not mandating the use of digital ID to access other public or private services. People...
Answered 12 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordProof of Identity: Digital TechnologyCabinet OfficeTabled 4 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97382More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much the Digital ID scheme will cost.
Answer: I refer the honourable Member to my answer to PQ93098.
Answered 15 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordNeighbourhood Health Centres: Private Finance InitiativeDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 1 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 95984More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish details of his Department new private finance model for building neighbourhood health centres and the business case completed for it.
Answer: The Department and the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) will continue to work with the market to further develop the new Public Private Partnership (PPP) model for neighbourhood health centres (NHCs) with further engage...
Answered 23 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordGaza: AgricultureForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 88072More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help support agricultural livelihoods in Gaza; and what steps the Government is taking to ensure that UK-funded support for agricultura
Answer: We recognise that people with existing vulnerabilities, including older people, can be disproportionately affected by humanitarian crises. All organisations which receive Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office funding are required to demonstrate com...
Answered 11 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordHumanitarian Aid: Older PeopleForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 88071More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of the humanitarian aid budget for (a) the Gaza conflict and (b) all global humanitarian crises is specifically allocated for (i) social protection mechanisms
Answer: We recognise that people with existing vulnerabilities, including older people, can be disproportionately affected by humanitarian crises. All organisations which receive Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office funding are required to demonstrate com...
Answered 11 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordHomicide: OffendersMinistry of JusticeTabled 20 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 83620More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the restriction zone requirement in the Sentencing Bill would apply to convicted murderers on a life sentence; and whether the conditions of convicted murderers would be independently managed by the parol
Answer: It is crucial that we have a justice system that punishes offenders and supports victims. That is why increasing restriction on serious sexual and violent offenders is part of our Plan for Change to cut crime and make streets safer.Through the Sentencing ...
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHomicide: OffendersMinistry of JusticeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80408More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether bereaved families of victims of murder would be protected under the restriction zone requirement in the Sentencing Bill.
Answer: It is crucial that we have a justice system that punishes offenders and supports victims. That is why increasing restriction on serious sexual and violent offenders is part of our Plan for Change to cut crime and make streets safer.Through the Sentencing ...
Answered 15 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHomicide: OffendersMinistry of JusticeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 80407More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the restriction zone requirement in the Sentencing Bill would apply to offenders of murder.
Answer: It is crucial that we have a justice system that punishes offenders and supports victims. That is why increasing restriction on serious sexual and violent offenders is part of our Plan for Change to cut crime and make streets safer.Through the Sentencing ...
Answered 15 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHomicideMinistry of JusticeTabled 9 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 58512More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will publish a timeline for the Law Commission of England and Wales’s review of the homicide law.
Answer: The Law Commission is independent of Government and responsible for the review of homicide law and sentencing for murder, including publishing their proposed timeline. The Government understands, however, that the Law Commission intends to publish a timel...
Answered 12 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Housing Allowance: WalesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 19 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53359More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 22 April 2025 to Question 44809 on Local Housing Allowance: Wales, what (a) metrics, (b) data points and (c) analysis were used to assess the impact of Local Housing Allowance
Answer: The impacts referenced in the previous answer were determined using a wide variety of metrics, data and analysis. These included:Current and past rental data supplied by the Valuation Office Agency, Rent Officers Scotland, and Rent Officers Wales;Analysis...
Answered 27 May 2025
Original Parliament recordDomestic Homicide Sentencing ReviewMinistry of JusticeTabled 15 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52774More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to publish an updated response to the Domestic Homicide Sentencing Review.
Answer: The Lord Chancellor set out the Government’s plans for reforms to sentencing of domestic homicides in a Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament on 6 December 2024 (HCWS286). The Law Commission has accepted our request to undertake a review of the law ...
Answered 20 May 2025
Original Parliament recordShared Rural NetworkDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 14 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52471More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he has taken under the Shared Rural Network programme to map investment in the hardest-to-reach areas.
Answer: Ofcom reporting indicates areas of poor mobile coverage across the UK. The Government has worked closely with the mobile network operators to identify locations where upgrading or building new masts can improve connectivity in rural areas where there is n...
Answered 22 May 2025
Original Parliament recordMobile Phones: Rural AreasDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 8 May 2025AnsweredUIN 904165More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help improve mobile phone coverage in rural areas.
Answer: The Shared Rural Network continues to deliver 4G connectivity where there is limited or no coverage. Beyond this, our ambition is for all populated areas, including rural communities, to have higher quality standalone 5G by 2030.We are working with Ofcom ...
Answered 15 May 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Housing Allowance: WalesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50340More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 22 April 2025 to Question 44809 on Local Housing Allowance: Wales, what (a) metrics, (b) data points and (c) analysis were used to determine the impacts of Local Housing Allowa
Answer: The impacts referenced in the previous answer were determined using a wide variety of metrics, data and analysis. These included:Current and past rental data supplied by the Valuation Office Agency, Rent Officers Scotland, and Rent Officers Wales;Analysis...
Answered 14 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRevenue and CustomsTreasuryTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50339More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of widening the eligibility criteria for organisations seeking to engage with the HMRC Wealthy External Forum.
Answer: The Wealthy External Forum (WEF) is a joint forum between HMRC and a cross-section of professional bodies representing wealthy individuals.The WEF is focused on discussing the operational processes and technical tax issues that impact wealthy customers. I...
Answered 14 May 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: WalesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 30 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 49624More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to publish an assessment of the potential impact of the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published on 18 March 2025, on Wales.
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. Future publications will include some information on people in Wales affected.These publicat...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAmbulance Services: MedalsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48749More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending eligibility for The Ambulance Service (Emergency Duties) Long Service and Good Conduct Medal to paramedics employe
Answer: No assessment has been made and there are no current plans to extend the eligibility of the Ambulance Service (Emergency Duties) Long Service and Good Conduct Medal to paramedics employed by air ambulance charities.
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPylons: PowysDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48748More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) the Vyrnwy–Frankton pylon project and (b) other pylon projects on local businesses that rely on tourism.
Answer: Developers of electricity network projects in England & Wales must assess the impacts of their proposals in line with the National Policy Statement for electricity network infrastructure (NPS EN-5). Government assesses specific projects only once they...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPylons: PowysDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48747More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) the Vrynwy Frankton pylon project and (b) other pylon projects on farm animals.
Answer: Developers of electricity network projects in England & Wales must assess the impacts of their proposals in line with the National Policy Statement for electricity network infrastructure (NPS EN-5). Alongside this, developers undertake Environmental I...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPylons: PowysDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48746More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Vrynwy Frankton pylon project on net zero.
Answer: Electricity networks are a critical enabler for net zero, linking new low-carbon generation to electricity demand. To accommodate both the generation needed for clean power as well as increasing demand as heating, transport and industry electrification wi...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordClimate Change: CostsTreasuryTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45317More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the cost to (a) the public purse (b) businesses and (c) individual people from climate change.
Answer: Illustrative analysis in the Office for Budget Responsibility's 2024 Fiscal Risks and Sustainability Report suggests that UK GDP could be around 3% lower by 2074 under a below 2°C warming scenario and around 5% lower under a below 3°C warming scenario. Th...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEconomic Growth: Climate ChangeTreasuryTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45316More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of climate change on economic growth.
Answer: Illustrative analysis in the Office for Budget Responsibility's 2024 Fiscal Risks and Sustainability Report suggests that UK GDP could be around 3% lower by 2074 under a below 2°C warming scenario and around 5% lower under a below 3°C warming scenario. Th...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament record
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