Wendy Morton MP: written questions 2026
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Written questions
Post Offices: FinanceDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 19 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 122118More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the statement of 25 February 2026 on the Government Response to the Green Paper on the Future of the Post Office, what proportion of the planned £180 million network subsidy funding o
Answer: The Department plans to provide up to £180 million of funding through a new network subsidy to Post Office over the next three financial years. The entirety of this funding is new, with the specific allocation of funding across the network being an operat...
Answered 26 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordPost Offices: AccessDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 19 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 122117More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, in reference to the statement of 25 February 2026 on the Government Response to the Green Paper on the Future of the Post Office, what assessment his Department has made of whether the existing Access
Answer: The Government’s Green Paper consultation confirmed that the public, especially rural communities and small businesses, rely on their local Post Office for essential services. We are therefore committed to retaining the 11,500‑branch minimum network and e...
Answered 26 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 19 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 122116More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support is available for pubs and hospitality businesses experiencing significant reductions in customer numbers due to prolonged roadworks or infrastructure closures nearby; whether the Government has con
Answer: The Government understands the pressure that prolonged roadworks and infrastructure closures can place on local businesses, including pubs and hospitality venues. Local authorities are responsible for managing works and mitigating disruption, including th...
Answered 26 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: SafetyDepartment for TransportTabled 19 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 122115More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of accident rates at high-risk urban junctions in England; what funding streams are available to local authorities to improve junction safety through measures such as tra
Answer: Data on reported road collisions, including location and whether at a junction, is collected by police forces via the system known as STATS19 and is published annually on gov.uk, which would allow this analysis to be carried out, but it is not analysed at...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordBuses: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for TransportTabled 19 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 122114More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the delivery risks associated with zero-emission bus programmes delivered in partnership with private bus operators; what steps her Department has taken to ensure that
Answer: The Department routinely monitors delivery of zero-emission bus (ZEB) programmes through engagement with Local Transport Authorities (LTAs). The main risks identified include: (i) securing timely grid connections and working with Distribution Network Oper...
Answered 25 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Audit OfficeMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 19 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 122113More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Local Government Finance Statement made on 23 February 2026, what the estimated annual operating cost of the proposed Local Audit Office will be; how it wil
Answer: The Local Audit Office will take on a remit and powers currently fragmented across the existing system with its statutory objectives and functions detailed in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. We will confirm the estimated cost and fu...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordGibraltar: UK Relations with EUForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 18 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121717More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the UK-EU treaty on Gibraltar on the supply of British food and drink to Gibraltar.
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the statement I made to the House on 26 February, and related statements in the Gibraltar Parliament. The final text of the treaty will be brought before the House for scrutiny in the usual way in due course.
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: BorrowingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121353More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Local Government Finance Statement made on 23 February 2026, when he plans to publish the consultation on strengthening safeguards over local government bor
Answer: Local authorities are responsible for their own borrowing and investment decisions, within a statutory framework intended to ensure borrowing is prudent, affordable and sustainable.The government recognises the importance of local investment, including fo...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordCommunity RelationsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121352More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the statement of 9 March 2026 entitled Social Cohesion Action Plan, what indicators he will include in the proposed Social Cohesion Measurement Framework; how f
Answer: The social cohesion action plan published last week, set out the steps that Government is taking to improve social cohesion. This includes the development of a social cohesion measurement framework and a social cohesion risk tool. Both of these are needed...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordHome Education: RegulationDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121322More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what new oversight measures she plans to introduce in relation to home schooling as referenced in the Statement of 9 March 2026; whether local authorities will be granted additional statutory powers to register
Answer: The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will require local authorities to maintain registers of children who are not in school, including home-educated children, and require parents of eligible children to give information for these registers. This will...
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordCharities: RadicalismDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121321More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what additional powers she plans to grant the Charity Commission to tackle extremist abuse as referenced in the Statement of 9 March 2026; whether these powers will require primary legislation; w
Answer: As part of the Government’s action plan for social cohesion we have announced that the Charity Commission’s powers will be extended to tackle extremist abuse of charities. This includes: extending its ability to suspend trustees and close down charities; ...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordVisas: National SecurityHome OfficeTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121320More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how she plans to expand the remit of the visa taskforce referenced in the Statement of 9 March 2026; what additional resources she will allocate to this work; how individuals identified as extremist r
Answer: As set out in the recently published "Protecting What Matters" document, overseas speakers of extremist concern will be identified and referred to specialist teams to take swift immigration action, including cancelling or refusing their visas or...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordBus Services: FranchisesDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121319More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support she is providing to mayoral combined authorities to support the transition to bus franchising systems; what funding she has allocated for transition costs, depot acquisition and fleet procurement;
Answer: The Government has confirmed investment of over £3 billion from 2026/27 for the rest of the spending review period to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services for millions of passengers. This funding includes a £3...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordBus Services: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121318More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what amount of zero-emission bus funding awarded by her Department since 2021 has had to be returned to the Department for Transport; which local transport authorities have returned funding; what reasons were g
Answer: There have been four local transport authorities (LTAs) that have returned Zero Emission Buses Regional Areas (ZEBRA) funding due to a decrease in project scoping or because the project can no longer be delivered as approved. The LTAs that returned fundin...
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordElectric Scooters: Pilot SchemesDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121317More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of e-scooter trial schemes on urban transport usage; what analysis she has undertaken of safety performance and usage trends; and what plans she h
Answer: The first national evaluation of the e-scooter rental trials was published on the Department’s website in 2022. The evaluation captured evidence on the impact of schemes, including on usage and safety.A second national evaluation started in 2025 and is ex...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordBus Services: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121316More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what level of financial support she provides to local transport authorities for commercial bus networks during the transition to franchised bus systems; whether operators must meet performance requirements to r
Answer: The Government has confirmed investment of over £3 billion from 2026/27 for the rest of the spending review period to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services for millions of passengers. This funding includes a £3...
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordBus Services: FaresDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121315More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of (a) changes to the national bus fare cap on bus use levels and (b) fare levels on discretionary off-peak bus travel.
Answer: The Department for Transport is currently undertaking an evaluation of the £3 single bus fare cap and its impacts, with the full report expected to be published later this year.
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordExcise Duties: FuelsTreasuryTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121314More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Office for Budget Responsibility’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook published in March 2026, how much additional revenue would be raised from a one-penny increase in fuel duty per litre; and how muc
Answer: The Government is taking action to ensure that fuel at the pump remains affordable. At Budget 2025, the Government extended the 5p-per-litre cut for a further five months, until the end of August this year. The Government has also cancelled the increase i...
Answered 19 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordPublic Sector DebtTreasuryTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121313More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Office for Budget Responsibility’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook published in March 2026, what the forecast level of public sector net debt as a proportion of GDP will be in each year of the fore
Answer: This data is available at Table A.9: Fiscal aggregates in the March 2026 Economic and Fiscal Outlook published by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The government’s fiscal plan brings down borrowing and debt, keeps the public finances on a susta...
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordPublic Expenditure: Social Security BenefitsTreasuryTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121312More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Office for Budget Responsibility’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook published in March 2026, what estimate she has made of the forecast increase in welfare spending over the forecast period; what th
Answer: Forecasts for welfare spending are the responsibility of the Office for Budget Responsibility.
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121311More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what oversight her Department has of the scheduling and coordination of major highway repair works undertaken by local authorities; what requirements exist to minimise prolonged closures and manage delays; and
Answer: Under the Highways Act 1980, responsibility for planning, prioritising and delivering maintenance on local roads sits with the relevant local authority, who are best placed to understand local network needs and manage works on their assets.This is support...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: ClosuresDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121310More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of long-term road closures on small businesses located near major road and bridge repair works; what guidance exists for highway authorities on mi
Answer: The Department has not made a formal national assessment of the impact of long-term road or bridge closures on small businesses. These impacts vary significantly depending on the scale of works, local travel patterns, and the mitigation measures put in pl...
Answered 25 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordPost Offices: StandardsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121309More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the statement of 25 February 2026 on the Government Response to the Green Paper on the Future of the Post Office, what proportion of the Post Office network consists of full-time, ful
Answer: As set out in the Government’s response to the Post Office Green Paper, at least half of the Post Office’s network must be full‑time, full‑service branches. This new requirement provides flexibility for the Post Office to expand lighter-touch formats, suc...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordCommunity Relations and Pride in Place Programme: FinanceMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121308More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the statement of 9 March 2026 on Protecting What Matters, what criteria he will use to determine the allocation of the £5.8 billion Pride in Place funding; whic
Answer: On Friday 20 March we announced a major expansion of the landmark Pride in Place programme. This follows the government’s action plan for social cohesion, “Protecting What Matters” which confirmed a further £800 million over ten years to 40 more areas whe...
Answered 26 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: DebtsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121307More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Local Government Finance Statement made on 23 February 2026, what estimate he has made of the aggregate level of debt held by local authorities in relation
Answer: The government does not collect data specifically on debt incurred to finance commercial property. However, authorities are required to submit data on borrowing, capital spend and asset holdings to government as part of quarterly and annual returns. Borro...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament record
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