Tim Farron MP: written questions 2025
245 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Hospitality Industry: VATTreasuryTabled 18 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 101344More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential cost to the public purse of lowering the VAT rate payable by hospitality businesses to (a) 15 per cent, (b) 10 per cent and (c) 5 per cent.
Answer: HMRC estimates that the cost of changing the 20 per cent Standard Rate of VAT on all accommodation and food and beverage services to the Reduced Rate of 5 per cent would be around £17 billion in 2026-27, rising to £19.5 billion in 2030-31. The Government ...
Answered 8 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordSchools: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment for EducationTabled 18 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 101343More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that pupils in rural schools have equal access to AI learning opportunities.
Answer: The department is committed to leveraging technology to benefit all schools, including those in rural areas. We are addressing barriers by connecting schools to fibre through the School Gigabit Programme and improving wireless networks through Connect the...
Answered 5 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordBusiness: Government AssistanceDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 18 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 101342More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans he has to support business investment and growth in the industries identified in the Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy over the next ten years.
Answer: Our modern Industrial Strategy is a 10-year plan to back our strengths and realise Britain’s potential. It is about creating a connected, high-skilled, economically growing country, where opportunity, skills and wealth are spread fairly, and where every p...
Answered 5 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordInternet: HarassmentDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 18 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 101341More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of measures to tackle online harassment; and what steps she plans to take to protect individuals from such abuse.
Answer: Under the Online Safety Act, platforms must protect all users from illegal harassment and children from harmful content, including hateful and abusive content. These duties are now in force and Ofcom conducts regular surveys to track user experiences. DSI...
Answered 9 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordInternet: Animal WelfareDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 18 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 101340More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to (a) ensure that online platforms are held accountable under the Online Safety Act 2023 for hosting content that promotes the torture of animals and (b) reass
Answer: The Government takes animal welfare very seriously. Under the Online Safety Act 2023, platforms must remove illegal content swiftly, including material promoting or facilitating animal torture, which is a designated priority offence. Services must also im...
Answered 9 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordIndustry: Rural AreasDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 18 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 101339More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Modern Industrial Strategy applies equally to rural areas.
Answer: The Industrial Strategy focuses efforts on the city regions and clusters across the UK where the growth-driving sectors are concentrated, including in rural areas. The Strategy introduces targeted measures in rural areas such as enhanced support for the I...
Answered 5 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordHealth Education England and NHS England: Hill DickinsonDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 15 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99710More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much did (a) Health Education England and (b) NHS England pay Hill Dickinson in (i) costs and (ii) fees for legal services between 2012 and 2023.
Answer: As a parent organisation, including commissioning support units but excluding integrated care boards, NHS England has spent approximately £8 million including VAT with Hill Dickinson between 2012/13 and 2022/23. Approximately 90% of these costs were spent...
Answered 14 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordCitizenship: ChildrenHome OfficeTabled 4 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97118More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost price is of a child citizenship application.
Answer: The Home Office publishes the fees charged and the estimated unit cost of processing immigration and nationality applications on Gov.UK. This can be reviewed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-fees-transparency-data.
Answered 11 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS ResolutionDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 96095More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the annual figures for payments made to each of NHS Resolution's panel law firms since the current legal framework came into effect in March 2022; and, in each case, what proport
Answer: NHS Resolution (NHSR) manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England. The information to the question requested is not published by NHSR on its website. NHSR does publish annual statistics, however, which are a...
Answered 8 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordSpirits: Excise DutiesTreasuryTabled 26 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 94645More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of spirits duty rates on the competitiveness of UK pubs comparted to pubs in Europe.
Answer: Alcohol duty is paid by producers, and is therefore not typically paid directly by pubs. Further, according to estimates derived from sales data collected on behalf of the Office for National Statistics, only around 15% of spirits are consumed on-trade. A...
Answered 4 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordSpirits: Excise DutiesTreasuryTabled 26 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 94644More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what data she holds on spirits duty revenue generated from pubs in (a) rural areas and (b) urban areas.
Answer: Alcohol duty is paid by producers, and is therefore not typically paid directly by pubs. Further, according to estimates derived from sales data collected on behalf of the Office for National Statistics, only around 15% of spirits are consumed on-trade. A...
Answered 4 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordAlcoholic Drinks: Excise DutiesTreasuryTabled 26 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 94643More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the impact of inflation-linked duty increases on the on-trade in each of the last three years.
Answer: Alcohol duty is paid by producers, and is therefore not typically paid directly by pubs. Further, according to estimates derived from sales data collected on behalf of the Office for National Statistics, only around 15% of spirits are consumed on-trade. A...
Answered 4 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordAir Pollution: International CooperationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91935More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress she has made with her international counterparts on updating (a) the Gothenburg Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-level Ozone and (b) other Unite
Answer: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is working with our partners and other Parties within the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution to update and future-proof the 2012 ame...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAir PollutionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91934More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to publish a new Clean Air Strategy.
Answer: The Government will continue to take the action needed to ensure everyone has cleaner air to breathe. The next review of our statutory Air Quality Strategy is due to be completed by mid-2028.
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordEnvironment ProtectionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91933More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department plans to publish the revised Environmental Improvement Plan.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Tamworth on 17 March 2025, UIN 37341.
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordNitrogen Dioxide: Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91932More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 April 2025 to Question 45555 on Nitrogen Dioxide: Pollution Control, which local (a) monitoring and (b) modelling as part of the Local Air Quality Manageme
Answer: Local authorities are expected to publish their Annual Status Reports on their own websites, detailing their assessments of the air quality objectives.
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordDeathCabinet OfficeTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91931More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many deaths in (a) England, (b) Northern Ireland, (c) Scotland and (d) Wales were attributable to (i) alcoholism, (ii) obesity, (iii) air pollution and (iv) smoking in the latest year for which data is avail
Answer: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 18th November is attached.
Answered 2 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordNitrogen Dioxide: Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91930More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2025 to UIN 66131, which (a) local authorities and (b) Metro Mayors have not published local plans to achieve compliance with legal limits for nitroge
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the reply previously given on 16 July 2025, PQ UIN 66131.
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordNitrogen Dioxide: Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91929More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to (a) revoke Environment Act 1995 Air Quality Directions and (b) introduce further directions to (i) achieve compliance with nitrogen dioxide limit values and (ii) a
Answer: Existing Directions under the Environment Act 1995 relating to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exceedances are revoked once the local authority area concerned has successfully demonstrated that compliance with legal limit levels for NO2 has been achieved, and that...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordNitrogen Dioxide: Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91928More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what localised hotspots for exceedances of the nitrogen dioxide annual limit value have been identified by which Air Quality Annual Status Report in each reporting zone in 2024.
Answer: Local authorities are expected to publish their Annual Status Reports detailing exceedances of the air quality objectives on their own websites. Annual limit values under the Air Quality Standards Regulation 2010 are assessed separately to the Annual Stat...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordNitrogen Dioxide: Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91927More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2025 to UIN 66132, what progress she has made on further policies to tackle ammonia emissions to help reduce the risk to the 2030 target.
Answer: The UK is compliant with the UK’s statutory reduction target for ammonia emissions, which has applied since 2020. The latest projections show that further action is needed to meet the UK’s ammonia reduction for 2030.
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordNitrogen Dioxide: Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91926More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 8 July 2025 to UIN 63555, which localised hotspots in which reporting zone in (a) England, (b) Northern Ireland, (c) Scotland and (d) Wales are delaying compl
Answer: Local authorities are expected to publish the data from their locally managed nitrogen dioxide measurement networks on their websites. Data from Defra-managed networks is published annually online at UK-Air as part of the national compliance assessment.
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordNitrogen Dioxide: Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91925More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 26 March 2025 to UIN 39815, which (a) cities, (b) towns, (c) agglomeration zones and (d) non-agglomeration zones in which reporting zones in (i) England, (ii)
Answer: The results of the UK’s air quality assessment for 2024 are published online on the UK-Air website (https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/).
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordLivestock: Electronic Training AidsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91924More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to review (a) restrictions on the use of virtual fencing technology under the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme and (b) the eligibility criteria fo
Answer: The Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme is due to end March 2026 and decisions on the future of the programme have not yet been made. The FiPL eligibility criteria for virtual fencing technology protects the highest standards of animal welfar...
Answered 3 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: SubsidiesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91923More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has considered aligning agricultural support in England with the approach taken in Scotland, where virtual fencing systems are eligible under the Future Farming Investment
Answer: Defra has funded virtual fencing technology projects through the Farming in Protected Landscape Programme which are helping to deliver our environmental targets in Protected Landscapes. Defra does not currently offer funding for virtual fencing technology...
Answered 1 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
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